India Leads Global TB Fight

Context

The World Health Organization’s Global TB Report 2025 and a Union Health Ministry release show rapid progress on tuberculosis (TB) in India. Between 2015 and 2024, TB incidence in India fell from 237 to 187 cases per lakh, a decline of about 21%, nearly double the global decline of 12%.

What is Happening?

1. Incidence: TB cases per lakh population fell by 21% (237 → 187) during 2015–2024.
2. Detection: An estimated 27 lakh new TB cases occur annually; 18 lakh were diagnosed in 2024.
3. Treatment coverage: Rose from 53% (2015) to 92% (2024).
4. Missing cases: Estimated “missing” cases fell from ~15 lakh (2015) to <1 lakh (2024).
5. Treatment success: India’s treatment success rose to 90%, above the global average of 88%.
6. Mortality: TB deaths declined from 28 per lakh (2015) to 21 per lakh (2024).
7. MDR-TB: No significant increase in multidrug-resistant TB reported so far.
8. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria resistant to at least two of the most powerful first-line anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin.
9. TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (since Dec 2024): Screened over 19 crore vulnerable people and detected 5 lakh TB patients, including 8.61 lakh asymptomatic cases.

• Drivers of success: Faster uptake of new technologies, decentralisation of services, large-scale community mobilisation, and intensified case-finding.

Why This Matters

1. Public health impact: Faster reductions in incidence and mortality mean fewer deaths and less disease burden.
2. Progress towards targets: Rapid declines move India closer to End TB goals and global targets.
3. Health systems: Improved detection and treatment show strengthening of surveillance, diagnostics, and program delivery.
4. Economic and social gains: Reducing TB saves lives and lowers productivity losses and health expenditures for vulnerable families.

How This Progress Was Achieved (Mechanisms & Interventions)

1. Technology adoption: Wider use of newer diagnostic tools (rapid molecular tests, digital reporting) shortened detection time.
2. Decentralisation: TB services have been pushed closer to communities (primary health centres, community screening), improving access.
3. Active case finding: Large outreach drives (TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan) screened high-risk groups at scale.
4. Community mobilisation: Engagement of civil society and community health workers improved awareness and follow-up.
5. Program integration: Stronger reporting and linking of diagnosed patients into treatment programs reduced the gap between incidence and notified cases.
6. Treatment support: Better treatment delivery, adherence support and monitoring raised success rates toward 90%.

Implications

1. Health systems: Rapid scale-up demonstrates India’s ability to run large public-health campaigns and use data for action.
2. Global standing: India’s decline outpaces many high-burden countries, making it a model for TB control.
3. Policy momentum: Success strengthens the case for continued investment in diagnostics, community outreach, and primary care integration.
4. Caveat: Gains must be consolidated to prevent resurgence and to manage drug resistance and hidden pockets of transmission.

Challenges and Way Forward

Conclusion

India’s TB story from 2015 to 2024 is a major public-health achievement: faster than global declines, far fewer missing cases, higher treatment coverage and success, and reduced mortality. This progress shows that combining technology, decentralised services, and community mobilisation works. Yet the fight is not over. To eliminate TB sustainably, India must consolidate gains, tackle social drivers, strengthen private-public collaboration, guard against drug resistance, and secure long-term funding and research. With sustained action, India can convert this momentum into lasting elimination.