Centre to Launch JOSH Teams Across 55 Districts in 11 States for TB Elimination
The Centre has plans to roll out JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) teams in 55 districts spread across 11 states to bolster India’s efforts to tackle the problem of tuberculosis (TB) from its grass roots level. The project, planned to be launched on October 8, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, will emphasize youth-driven community mobilization and awareness about TB Mukt Bharat campaign.
What Are JOSH Teams?
The JOSH Teams for TB elimination are being created jointly through the efforts of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, and Ministry of Defence. These teams will consist of Class I officers, MY Bharat volunteers and NCC cadets in order to work towards community engagement against TB.
In the initial stage, the JOSH Teams will be involved in activities related to block-level, ward-level, and community-level engagement against TB. The JOSH Teams will perform a variety of roles including awareness about symptoms, prevention, diagnosis, and completing treatment of TB.
Youth Participation in TB Elimination
The youth involvement programme has been designed as part of the overall strategy for TB eradication by the government. Involvement of the MY Bharat volunteers and NCC cadres is likely to help the JOSH Teams form an organized network that will help reach out to communities outside the traditional healthcare delivery channels.
In addition, the youth movement is consistent with the government’s strategy of Jan Bhagidari for fighting TB. Community awareness can be helpful in ensuring that people are able to recognize their symptoms and complete their medication.
India’s Wider TB Mukt Bharat Efforts
JOSH Teams is part of several other national movements aimed at speeding up the eradication of TB in the country. As stated by the Health Ministry, over 1.9 lakh MY Bharat volunteers were already involved in national-level efforts towards the acceleration of TB eradication by June 2026. In addition, the number of people who got TB in India decreased from 243 per one lakh population in 2014 to 187 per one lakh in 2024. Consequently, the introduction of the program in 55 districts further reinforces the element of youth and community mobilization in the Indian TB campaign.
