{"id":132901,"date":"2026-11-13T11:21:33","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T05:51:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=132901"},"modified":"2026-11-13T11:21:33","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T05:51:33","slug":"indias-progress-in-tuberculosis-elimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-progress-in-tuberculosis-elimination\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Progress in Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Tuberculosis (TB) Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><b>WHO Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, India has recorded a 38% reduction in TB-related mortality between 2015 and 2025, compared with a global reduction of 35%.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this progress, India remains the country with the <\/span><b>highest TB burden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, accounting for 25% of global TB cases in 2025.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report acknowledges India&#8217;s progress in reducing mortality, improving treatment outcomes and strengthening domestic financing, while highlighting the continuing challenge of high disease incidence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Global and India\u2019s TB Burden<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An estimated 10.6 million people developed TB globally in 2025, around 75,000 fewer than in 2024.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The global TB incidence rate declined from 131 cases per lakh population in 2024 to <\/span><b>129 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in 2025.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The global incidence reduction since 2015 was <\/span><b>14%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, significantly below the End TB Strategy milestone of 50% by 2025 and the target of 80% by 2030.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TB remains the <\/span><b>leading cause of death<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from a single infectious agent and ranks 13th among all causes of death globally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Top eight countries <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contributing to global TB cases (2025): India (25% share of global cases), Indonesia (10%), Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%), Pakistan (6.4%), Nigeria (4.9%), DR Congo (3.9%), and Bangladesh (3.7%).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These eight countries account for approximately <\/span><b>67%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of global TB cases, while 30 high-burden countries together account for 88%.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Demographic distribution<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Globally, 54% of people developing TB in 2025 were men, 35% women and 11% children.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>India\u2019s Progress in TB Control<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Declining mortality<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Estimated TB deaths declined from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 18 per lakh in 2025, representing a 38% reduction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Treatment success<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India achieved a treatment success rate of 94%, reflecting improvements in treatment delivery and patient support.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Domestic financing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Around 96% of TB programme funding requirements are met through domestic resources, demonstrating sustained national investment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Declining MDR-TB<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India remains among four countries accounting for more than 50% of global multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB cases, although MDR-TB incidence has been gradually declining.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Data revision under consideration<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The WHO, India&#8217;s Central TB Division and ICMR are analysing district-level sentinel surveillance data and findings from the nationally representative TB prevalence survey conducted by ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (<\/span><b>NIRT<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) in 2025.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Government Initiatives for TB Elimination<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The progress reflects interventions under the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/tuberculosis-elimination-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">National TB Elimination Programme (<\/a><\/strong><\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/tuberculosis-elimination-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">NTEP<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/tuberculosis-elimination-in-india\/\" target=\"_blank\">)<\/a><\/strong>, supported by technology, early diagnosis, treatment and community participation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched as an intensified campaign on December 7, <\/span><b>2024<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, covering 347 high-priority districts across 33 States and UTs, and subsequently expanding nationwide.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Achievements (2024 &#8211; Nov 2026):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 11 crore chest X-rays conducted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 3 crore nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) conducted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Approximately 48.64 lakh TB cases detected, including 14.97 lakh asymptomatic cases.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Detection of asymptomatic cases enables early treatment, reduces transmission and prevents progression to severe disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Technology-enabled TB Management:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>AI-enabled chest X-rays:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Improve screening and early identification.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>AI-based hotspot identification:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Helps identify geographical areas with high TB vulnerability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Predictive AI tools:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Identify high-risk patients prone to adverse treatment outcomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Digital interventions: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Khushi AI Chatbot and Avatar Videobot support awareness and patient engagement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Rapid molecular diagnostics:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Enable faster and more accurate detection.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Nutritional and Community Support:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Provides nutritional assistance to TB patients.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Ni-kshay Mitra initiative<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Encourages community participation and nutritional support through individual and institutional donors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Integration <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of TB screening with diabetes, undernutrition and other comorbidities facilitates comprehensive and differentiated patient care.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Challenges in Achieving TB Elimination<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>High disease burden<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: India continues to account for one-fourth of global TB cases.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Detection gaps<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Asymptomatic and undiagnosed cases contribute to continued transmission.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Drug resistance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: MDR-TB remains a significant public health challenge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Socio-economic determinants<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Undernutrition, poverty, overcrowding and poor living conditions increase vulnerability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Global progress deficit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The worldwide decline in TB incidence remains far below the End TB Strategy targets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Data uncertainties<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Revision of India&#8217;s incidence estimates highlights the need for stronger surveillance and reliable disease-burden assessment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthen <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">proactive screening, particularly among vulnerable and high-risk populations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Expand <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">access to rapid molecular diagnostics and AI-enabled screening.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ensure <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">early treatment initiation, adherence and patient-centred care.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthen <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TB preventive treatment and management of drug-resistant TB.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Integrate <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TB control with nutrition, diabetes management and poverty alleviation programmes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increase <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">community participation and awareness to reduce stigma and encourage early diagnosis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Sustain <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">domestic financing, research and evidence-based policymaking.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s substantial share of global TB cases underscores the need to move beyond mortality reduction towards accelerated prevention, early detection and interruption of transmission.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A technology-driven, adequately financed and community-centred approach remains essential to achieving the goal of a TB-Mukt Bharat.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/india\/2026\/Nov\/12\/india-records-38-per-cent-drop-in-tb-mortality-since-2015-remains-among-top-eight-for-cases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>IE<\/b><\/a><b> |\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/india-news\/india-records-38-drop-in-tb-deaths-since-2015-outpaces-global-rate-who-126111300013_1.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>BS<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to the WHO Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2026, India has recorded a 38% reduction in TB-related mortality between 2015 and 2025, compared with a global reduction of 35%.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":132910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[3728],"class_list":["post-132901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","tag-tuberculosis","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132901"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132917,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132901\/revisions\/132917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}