Panaji: Eighty-seven panchayats in the state are meeting the required criteria for TB-free status under the TB Mukt Panchayat initiative.
“The TB Mukt Panchayat initiative has gained significant momentum. In 2025, as many as 87 panchayats are meeting the required criteria for TB-free status, including one panchayat eligible for Gold status, nine for Silver, and seventy-seven for Bronze status. We have sent all the details to the Centre for the final decision,” said a health official.
Bronze status is awarded in the first year of achieving TB-free status, Silver for sustaining it for two years and Gold for sustaining it for three years. In 2023, two panchayats were declared TB-free, while in 2024, twelve panchayats achieved the status.
In 2025, Goa recorded 102 per cent achievement of its TB case notification target, with 1,834 cases notified against a target of 1,800.
“The TB incidence rate has shown a steady and substantial decline, from 260 per lakh population in 2015 to 133 in 2024, and further to 117 in 2025—indicating sustained efforts in early detection and effective treatment. Overall, the state has reduced TB incidence by nearly 48 per cent over the past decade,” said state TB officer Dr Manish Gaunekar.
He said the state ensures universal access to free TB diagnostics and treatment services.
“A monthly nutritional support of Rs 1,000 is provided to TB patients through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), enhancing treatment adherence and recovery,” he said, adding that community participation has been strengthened through the Nikshay Mitra initiative under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan. Goa has registered 1,250 Nikshay Mitras who are actively supporting TB patients. In 2025, 5,677 nutritional food baskets were distributed to consenting patients. Additionally, the state has implemented differentiated TB care at the time of treatment initiation to identify comorbidities and provide appropriate management, aiming to reduce TB-related mortality.
“Universal Drug Sensitivity Testing is being conducted for all notified TB patients using NAAT technology, enabling early identification and treatment of drug-resistant TB cases,” he said.
