The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will launch JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams in New Delhi on October 8 as part of efforts to strengthen community participation in India’s fight against tuberculosis (TB).
The initiative, announced on October 7, aims to involve young people more actively in the country’s TB response. Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda will lead the national launch, with Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also expected to be present.
In the first phase, JOSH Teams will be rolled out across 55 districts in 11 states. The programme will focus on youth-led community mobilisation and take the TB Mukt Bharat message to people at the grassroots level.
According to the Ministry, the teams will work to increase awareness about TB symptoms, prevention, timely diagnosis and completion of treatment. The initiative will also strengthen engagement at the block and community levels, taking TB-related communication beyond health facilities and into communities.
The launch is expected to bring together representatives from participating ministries, elected representatives, MY Bharat volunteers, NCC cadets and other stakeholders involved in India’s TB elimination efforts.
The government has increasingly emphasised community participation as an important part of TB control, particularly in improving awareness, encouraging people with symptoms to seek diagnosis and supporting patients through the treatment process.
Through JOSH Teams, young volunteers will be given a structured platform to contribute to awareness generation, social mobilisation and community engagement. The initiative is intended to complement existing efforts towards a TB-free India by strengthening local participation and bringing health messages closer to communities.
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