Centre to Launch JOSH Youth Teams for TB Elimination at Bharat Mandapam
Union Health Minister J P Nadda will lead the national launch of the Joint Squad for Health teams at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Thursday, inaugurating a nationwide drive across 55 districts in 11 states to strengthen youth-led community mobilisation for tuberculosis elimination. The Union Health Ministry announced the initiative on Wednesday, stating that the squads will take the tuberculosis-free India message directly to the grassroots.
The initiative is being jointly undertaken by the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the Ministry of Defence. The programme brings together Class-I officers, MY Bharat volunteers, and National Cadet Corps cadets to drive community-level engagement and organise local action against TB.
The Joint Squad for Health, known as JOSH, is designed as a structured mechanism to channel youth reach and energy into organised public health efforts. The first phase of the rollout will focus specifically on community engagement at the block, ward, and neighbourhood levels.
Participating teams will disseminate detailed information on TB symptoms, prevention protocols, timely diagnosis, and the importance of complete treatment adherence. Beyond awareness, the squads are tasked with addressing persistent myths and misconceptions, actively reducing social stigma, and encouraging local residents to participate in the national campaign.
The ministry noted that the JOSH initiative builds on a growing national emphasis on Jan Bhagidari and community participation as core pillars of tuberculosis elimination. Collective grassroots work has already shown measurable results, with 67,933 panchayats across 697 districts recognised as TB free in 2025 following joint efforts by health workers, elected representatives, community members, and volunteers.
According to the Health Ministry, the deployment of JOSH teams marks a critical step toward building a people-centred, participatory response to the disease through coordinated action across central ministries, states, Union Territories, and civic volunteers to reinforce the resolve for a TB Mukt Bharat.
