National News

JOSH Initiative 2026

October 13 , 2026 12 hrs 0 min 28 0

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare launched Joint Squad for Health (JOSH) Teams under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on 8 October 2026 in New Delhi.
The initiative aims to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) through youth participation, early detection, treatment support and stigma reduction.
In the first phase, it covers 55 districts across 11 States and Union Territories.
Each JOSH Team comprises five MY Bharat Volunteers and five National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, supervised by a Class-I officer.
Volunteers promote TB screening, nutritional counselling and regular treatment, supported by the TB Mukt Bharat App and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistant called Khushi Avatar (e-Sangini).
The initiative aims to accelerate India’s progress towards a TB-free nation before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) deadline.