Govt to launch ambitious drive to control many diseases, says Harsh Vardhan

New Delhi: An ambitious drive to eliminate or control a host of diseases, including measles, which affects lakhs of people and leave many killed every year will be launched, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said. Vardhan said the government was already working towards eliminating measles by 2015 and Rubella, also known as German measles, and ‘Kala-azar’ or black fever by 2015. [caption id=“attachment_1735757” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Harsh Vardhan. AFP[/caption] It also aims to eliminate parasitic disease Filaria by 2015 and Leprosy at district level by 2017. “We got rid of Smallpox in 1977 and Polio in 2014. There is no reason why we cannot finish others,” he said during a press conference here. Vardhan said the government has called a meeting of health secretaries from across the country on 9 October in this regard, following which a nationwide programme will be launched regarding elimination of such diseases and others. “We have problems of hypertension, diabetes, cancer, obesity among others and a detailed module and protocol to deal with them is ready. There will be a final discussion on 9 October before we roll it out,” he said. Hinting that ‘Ayush’, which includes Ayurveda and Yoga, may receive a boost under the BJP government, Vardhan said the health ministry is ready with ‘The Recognition of New Systems of Medicine Bill, 2014,’ to determine the distinctive characteristics of alternative systems of medicine. The government for the first time will also host the ‘World Ayurveda Congress’ between November 7-9 and 24 ministers from 40 countries will participate in it, he said. “Universal Health Assurance Mission, which is yet to get the government’s nod, will have 50 essential drugs with a package of diagnostics and about 30 Ayush drugs that will be made accessible to all citizens,” he said. PTI