India Records Steepest Decline in TB Incidence Among High-Burden Nations: WHO Report

Key Highlights

• Sharp Decline in TB Cases:
  India achieved a 21% reduction in tuberculosis (TB) incidence between 2015 and 2024, nearly double the global rate of decline, as per the Global TB Report 2025 released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Incidence Drops Significantly:
  TB incidence fell from 237 cases per lakh population (2015) to 187 per lakh (2024), marking one of the fastest declines among high-burden TB countries.
• Expansion of Treatment Coverage:
  Treatment coverage surged from 53% in 2015 to over 92% in 2024 due to rapid adoption of advanced diagnostics, decentralised healthcare services, and extensive community mobilisation.
• Dramatic Reduction in “Missing Cases”:
  Of the estimated 27 lakh TB cases in 2024, 26.18 lakh were diagnosed and placed on treatment.
  “Missing cases” dropped sharply from 15 lakh (2015) to less than 1 lakh (2024).
• Improved Outcomes Under TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan:
  India’s TB treatment success rate has climbed to 90%, surpassing the global average of 88%.
  Multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) levels have remained stable.
• Declining Mortality:
  TB mortality decreased from 28 per lakh population (2015) to 21 per lakh (2024), reflecting improved access to diagnosis, treatment, and nutritional support.
• Massive Scale-Up of TB Infrastructure:
  India now operates the world’s largest TB laboratory network, featuring:
  • 9,391 rapid molecular testing facilities
  • 107 culture and drug-susceptibility testing laboratories
• Boost in Government Funding:
  Over nine years, government funding for the national TB programme has increased nearly ten-fold, enabling greater outreach and technological integration.
• Enhanced Nutritional Support:
  Under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, the monthly Direct Benefit Transfer for TB patients has been doubled from ₹500 to ₹1,000, supporting better treatment adherence.