New Delhi, November 21 (IANS). Tuberculosis (TB) cases are decreasing rapidly in India. If we look at the data of the last 10 years, India has seen a significant decline in TB cases and deaths due to it. Official sources in the Central TB Division have said that the data confirms that this has been possible due to better surveillance of the disease, early detection and expanded treatment coverage.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report 2025, India has recorded a 21 percent decline in TB cases from 237 cases per lakh population in 2015 to 187 cases per lakh in 2024. Over the same period, TB mortality has declined by 25 percent, from 28 deaths per lakh population in 2015 to 21 in 2024. With this, there has been a significant improvement in treatment coverage from 53% in 2015 to 92% in 2024.
The Central TB Division, which is monitoring the TB-free India campaign, said that a major reason for the progress in this area is the government’s renewed focus on identifying asymptomatic cases, as such cases were earlier missed due to limited surveillance gaps.
According to World Health Organization estimates, there were approximately 15 lakh ‘missing’ TB cases in India in 2015, making controlling the spread of the disease a serious challenge. This number will decline by 93% to less than one lakh in 2024. This represents a major breakthrough in identifying cases.
The TB-free India campaign, launched on December 7, 2024, marks a strategic shift towards proactive and disease surveillance, the report said. The campaign used AI-enabled handheld X-rays, digital screening tools, upfront molecular diagnostics (NAAT) and focused on outreach in high-risk areas. 24.89 lakh cases were notified under this initiative, of which 8.7 lakh cases were asymptomatic.
Identifying cases before symptoms worsen has led to fewer infections and better treatment outcomes, ultimately reducing TB-related deaths, officials said.
The Health Ministry has reaffirmed that India is moving forward strongly in its fight against TB and the TB Free India campaign is expected to achieve further success in reducing cases and preventing mortality. This initiative underlines the Government’s resolve to eliminate TB and move closer to the goal of a TB-free India in the coming years.
–IANS
MS/VC