Modi to address 'One World TB Summit' at Varanasi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 'One World TB Summit' in Varanasi on March 24 and launch projects worth over Rs 1,780 crore during the visit to his parliamentary constituency.

On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, Modi will address the One World TB Summit being organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Stop TB Partnership, a United Nations-hosted organisation that amplifies the voices of people, communities and countries affected by the disease, a statement said.

He will launch various initiatives, including the TB-free panchayat initiative, official rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) countrywide and a family-centric care model for TB, and release India's Annual TB Report 2023.

The prime minister will also award select states, Union Territories and districts for their progress towards ending the disease. In March 2018 during the "End TB" summit held in the national capital, Modi had called for the country to achieve TB-related sustainable development goals targets by 2025, five years ahead of the stipulated time. The statement said the One World TB Summit will provide an opportunity to further deliberate upon the targets as the country moves forward to meet its objectives.

Highlighting the upcoming development initiatives, the statement said Modi has put a special focus on transforming the landscape of Varanasi and enhancing ease of living for the people living in the city and its adjoining areas in the last nine years. Taking another step in this direction, he will dedicate and lay the foundation stones of projects worth over Rs 1,780 crore during a programme at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University ground. He will lay the foundation stone of the passenger ropeway from Varanasi Cantt station to Godowlia. The cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 645 crore.