Centre launches JOSH teams to strengthen youth-led efforts for TB elimination

The Centre launched JOSH Teams to strengthen grassroots efforts to eliminate tuberculosis, with 58,000 volunteers supporting awareness, screening, diagnosis and treatment. The initiative, involving youth, NCC cadets, officials and public representatives, will initially cover 55 districts across 11 states 

New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Defence, on Thursday launched the JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi to strengthen community-led efforts towards eliminating tuberculosis (TB).

Addressing the gathering, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda thanked the Sports Department and the Defence Ministry for supporting the initiative and said that 58,000 volunteers would work at the grassroots level. “I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the Sports Department and the Defence Ministry, who turned this vision into reality. Today, the Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) Team has been established, and our 58,000 volunteers will go from village to village to work. For this, I want to thank and congratulate you all,” Nadda said.

---

“We don’t want to limit this movement. The government, communities and citizens should come together. For a TB-free India, we should create awareness among people. It is not enough that we only create awareness and conduct screening. We also have to ensure diagnosis and treatment, increase community participation and come up with new and innovative ideas. We will have to complete this mission,” he said.

Nadda also stressed the need to identify people who may be unaware that they have TB, including those who are asymptomatic. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that a healthy population was essential for achieving the goal of a developed and prosperous India.

“As we are moving forward towards a prosperous India, it is not possible if we are not healthy. It is not possible to become developed if the people are not healthy,” she said.

Gupta said the JOSH Teams would bring together young volunteers, NCC cadets, public representatives and government officials to work towards eliminating TB.

“When the JOSH Teams work together, and our young volunteers, NCC cadets, public representatives and officials go among the people and fight this battle against TB, we will be able to completely eradicate TB from the country,” she said. “Health, youth and defence are our ‘Trishakti’. The way they are working together, we are on a national mission,” she added.

In the first phase, JOSH Teams will be rolled out across 55 districts in 11 states to strengthen youth-led community mobilisation and take the message of TB Mukt Bharat to the grassroots. The teams will bring together Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers and NCC cadets, combining administrative leadership with the youth networks and community outreach capabilities of MY Bharat and the NCC.

During the first phase, the initiative will focus on engagement at the block, ward and community levels. Through outreach activities, JOSH Teams will disseminate information on TB symptoms, prevention, timely diagnosis and completion of treatment.

They will also work to address myths and misconceptions surrounding TB, reduce stigma and encourage greater community participation in the national TB elimination campaign.