Mumbai: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was given an award by the US Embassy in appreciation for his invaluable contributions to the US-India partnership on tuberculosis, an official said here on Monday.The award was presented on January 8 by US Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma to the legendary actor who is also a tuberculosis survivor and brand ambassador for the initiative.Speaking on a live video-chat with Facebook users, the two discussed the US Embassy’s collaboration to end tuberculosis in India and the US-India partnership among other issues.”I thank Mr. Bachchan for his dedication to support the cause and for sharing his story as a tuberculosis survivor to reduce the stigma associated with tuberculosis,” Verma acknowledged.

He added that more lives can be saved and ease the burden the disease places on families, communities, corporations and India, referring to the high incidence of tuberculosis-related deaths in the country.”It is inspiring that India and the US are natural partners with a long history of collaboration on tuberculosis prevention, treatment, research and cure and I hope to continue to do my bit in this partnership to end tuberculosis in India,” Amitabh reciprocated. Verma and Amitabh first collaborated to work on tuberculosis during an event here two years ago on September 10 and it soon grew into a common passion around the cause of eradicating tuberculosis.In March 2016, Amitabh attended a reception at the US Embassy in New Delhi as tuberculosis brand ambassador and a survivor of the disease.