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India Achieves Major Milestone in TB Reduction

  • 13 Nov 2025

According to the WHO Global TB Report 2025 released on 12th November 2025, India recorded a 21% reduction in tuberculosis (TB) incidence between 2015 and 2024, nearly double the global rate of decline.

Key Points

  • Sharp Decline in TB Incidence: India’s TB incidence fell by 21% from 2015 to 2024, outperforming the global average rate of reduction.
  • Improved Treatment Coverage: Treatment coverage increased from 53% in 2015 to over 92% in 2024, with 26.18 lakh patients diagnosed and placed on treatment out of the estimated 27 lakh cases.
  • Reduction in “Missing Cases”: The number of unreported TB cases fell dramatically from 15 lakh in 2015 to less than 1 lakh in 2024, due to expanded surveillance and reporting.
  • Stable MDR-TB Burden: India has maintained stability in multi-drug resistant TB cases, while treatment success under TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan has risen to 90%, higher than the global average of 88%.
  • Decline in TB Mortality: Mortality rates dropped from 28 per lakh (2015) to 21 per lakh (2024), supported by a nearly ten-fold increase in government funding since 2015.
  • Nationwide Screening Under TB Mukt Bharat: Launched in 2022, the programme has screened over 19 crore vulnerable individuals, significantly strengthening early detection.
  • Adoption of New Technologies: Deployment of AI-enabled handheld X-ray devices, expanded NAAT testing, and digital tools has supported diagnosis of 24.5 lakh TB patients, including 8.61 lakh asymptomatic cases.
  • Largest TB Lab Network: India now operates 9,391 rapid molecular testing facilities and 107 culture & DST labs, along with 500+ AI-enabled handheld X-ray units (1,500 more being deployed).
  • Strengthening Community-Level Care: Through 1.78 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, diagnostic and treatment services are being decentralised and taken closer to communities.
  • Enhanced Nutritional Support: Under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, monthly DBT support has doubled from ₹500 to ₹1,000 per patient, with ₹4,406 crore transferred to 1.37 crore beneficiaries since 2018.