The Union Health Ministry has handed over the charge of India's tuberculosis control program to the Head of HIV/AIDS control organization. The Ministry decided that the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP), which was previously handled in the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) now be transferred to the Additional Secretary and Director General (AS&DG) of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). It was further clarified that both programs would retain their independent identity but will be now able to learn from each other.
For achieving the target to end TB in the country by 2025, the TB program would need to step up. Therefore, the Ministry further ordered that the RNTCP will follow through AIDS program's approach of engagement with the community-based organizations for achieving the outcomes under RNTCP. What is your opinion on this move?
