Program Towards Elimination of Tuberculosis

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The objective of the Program Towards Elimination of Tuberculosis Project is to improve the coverage and quality of TB control interventions in the private and public sector in targeted states of India. Growth has accelerated in the last two quarters to reach 8.2 percent in the first quarter of FY18-2019. This growth was supported by a revival in industrial activity, strong private consumption, and a rise in exports of goods and services. At the same time, the external situation has become less favorable. The current account balance has widened on the account of an increasing trade deficit (on the back of strong import demand and higher oil prices) from 0.7 percent of GDP in FY16-17 to 1.9 percent in FY17-18. Meanwhile, external headwinds, monetary policy ‘normalization’ in the US coupled with recent stress in some Emerging Market Economies, have triggered portfolio outflows from April 2018 onwards, putting additional pressure on the balance of payments. Going forward, growth is projected to reach 7.3 percent in FY18-19 and to firm up thereafter at around 7.5 percent, primarily on account of robust private and public consumption expenditure, a rise in exports of goods and services, and a gradual increase in investments. However, the current account deficit is also projected to remain elevated in FY18-19. Between FY2011-12 and 2015, poverty declined from 21.6 percent to an estimated 13.4 percent at the international poverty line (2011 PPP US dollar 1.90 per person per day), continuing the earlier trend of robust reduction in poverty. Aided by robust economic growth, more than 90 million people escaped extreme poverty and improved their living standards during this period. Despite this success, poverty remains widespread in India. In 2015, with the latest estimates, 176 million Indians were living in extreme poverty while 659 million, or half the population, were below the higher poverty line commonly used for lower middle-income countries (2011 PPP US$3.20 per person per day). Recent trends in the construction sector and rural wages, a major source of employment for the poorer households, suggest that the pace of poverty eradication may have slowed. India is still marked by disparities between urban and rural areas, as well as structural inequalities by gender, tribe, and caste. Addressing these inequalities will require increasing access, quality, and utilization of human development services, including health care.