The Union Health Ministry launched JOSH — Joint Squad for Health — Teams under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on 8 October 2026. The first phase is being rolled out in 55 districts across 11 States in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Defence.
The programme seeks to use youth volunteers and community networks to spread messages on TB prevention, early testing, treatment completion and stigma reduction. The launch reflects an attempt to supplement the formal health system with local mobilisation and peer outreach.
Community participation can improve case finding and treatment adherence, but volunteer mobilisation is not a substitute for diagnostic capacity, drug availability, nutritional support or reliable public-health surveillance. TB control requires both social participation and strong clinical systems.
For civil-services preparation, JOSH illustrates the Jan Bhagidari approach to public health. Its effectiveness will depend on whether outreach leads to timely testing, completed treatment and reduced transmission rather than only higher campaign visibility.
