Anurag Thakur is Global Fund Champion for awareness about Malaria, TB & HIV AIDS
Author(s): Arvind SharmaDharamshala, September 29, 2017: Global Fund, an organisation working towards accelerating the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics in the world, today chose BJP MP Anurag Thakur as the Global Fund...
Dharamshala, September 29, 2017: Global Fund, an organisation working towards accelerating the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics in the world, today chose BJP MP Anurag Thakur as the Global Fund Champion to boost international awareness regarding the epidemics.
Commenting on being appointed as the Global Fund Champion, Anurag Thakur said, “I am honored to be appointed by Global Fund as the Champion for Public Health. I am committed towards the cause of Public Health and have been executing efforts towards creating awareness about the menaces that are being faced across the world.”
Thakur added further in is press release “In my capacity as a Member of Parliament, I have undertaken various initiatives that have been aimed at improvising the Public Health, be it through creating awareness about the epidemic and means of curbing the same or through provision of medical facilities within my constituency like All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).”
Commenting on this, Christoph Benn, Head External Relations, Global Fund said, “We are thankful to Mr Anurag Thakur for accepting the role of Global Fund Champion and agreeing to highlight issues that have engulfed the entire nation in its clutches. He is a young and dynamic leader and his support will certainly create a positive impact and intensify action against the epidemics. This is in recognition to his outstanding work in the field of Public Health and acting as a catalyst for providing the due importance and platform for addressing these issues, that they much deserve. He was instrumental in organizing the India Free TB Summit, held in the month of April 2017. The initiative was aimed at creating widespread awareness about TB and the response received across quarters was overwhelming. And now with the establishment of a premier institute like AIIMS in his constituency, he is certainly committed towards improvising the health conditions. We need more such leaders who can lend a voice to pressing issues and given to their influential appeal to masses, can create a difference. Once again, we would like to thank Mr Thakur for being committed to the cause of Public Health.”
As per the figures, Tuberculosis (TB) has become one of the major health problems in India and each year approximately 2.2 lakh deaths are reported due to TB. The disease is accounted as a major cause of deaths in the country. India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world. In 2016, around 2.1 million people living in India suffered with HIV. Malaria is a public health problem in several parts of the country. About 95% population in the country resides in malaria endemic areas and 80% of malaria reported in the country is confined to areas consisting 20% of population residing in tribal, hilly, difficult and inaccessible areas.
The Global Fund is the biggest custodian of donations from NGOs and Governments to be used for eradicating various diseases and undertakes health advocacy.