Towards building a tuberculosis free world

The Honourable Prime Minister of India set a target of year 2025 for elimination of TB from the country, 5 years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal of 2030. Last few years, India has made significant improvements, towards elimination of tuberculosis from the country in the form of bold policies and unprecedented political commitment. While COVID-19 has resulted in setbacks for TB elimination efforts, it has also offered an opportunity to revisit and structurally redesign the public health infrastructure/system in our country. The dream of TB elimination is possible with active participation of all stakeholders and community at large coupled with accelerated development of new diagnostics, drugs, and development of a new TB vaccine. COVID-19 pandemic has shown that vaccines can be developed in a year, contrarily, the lack of a TB vaccine is deterrent in the efforts towards a TB free world. A progress towards TB elimination would require potential contribution of novel TB vaccine. Now, is the time for mobilization towards a TB vaccine to make an impact towards our end TB goal.