Ministry Of Health To Launch JOSH Teams In New Delhi On Oct 8

To further strengthen community participation in India’s fight against tuberculosis (TB), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will launch JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams in New Delhi tomorrow. The initiative to be launched by Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda seeks to enable young people to become active partners in the TB response, providing them with a defined platform to contribute to awareness generation, social mobilisation and community engagement.

In the first phase, JOSH Teams will be rolled out across 55 districts in 11 States, with the objective of strengthening youth-led community mobilisation and taking the message of TB Mukt Bharat to the grassroots. Mr Nadda will lead the national launch of JOSH Teams in the presence of Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.

The event will bring together senior leadership and stakeholders from the participating Ministries, elected representatives, MY Bharat Volunteers, NCC Cadets and other stakeholders associated with India’s TB elimination efforts. In the first phase, the initiative will focus on strengthening engagement at the Block and community levels, taking the TB Mukt Bharat message beyond health facilities and closer to people and communities where they live, work and interact. JOSH Teams will support the dissemination of key messages on TB symptoms, prevention, timely diagnosis and completion of treatment.