India has recorded a 38% reduction in tuberculosis (TB) mortality since 2015, outperforming the global average decline of 35%, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 released on Thursday. The report also highlights that India achieved a 94% treatment success rate among patients diagnosed with drug-susceptible TB.
The Union Health Ministry attributed these gains to interventions under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). These measures include proactive case finding, the use of rapid diagnostics, prompt treatment initiation, and differentiated care. Additionally, the government has integrated TB screening with the management of diabetes and undernutrition, while providing nutritional and psychosocial support through the Nikshay Poshan Yojana and Nikshay Mitra initiatives.
Technological integration has played a central role in the country's strategy. Between December 2024 and November 2026, the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan brought more than 250 million people under screening. Authorities conducted over 11 crore chest X-rays using AI-enabled portable diagnostic tools and performed more than 30 million rapid molecular nucleic acid amplification tests. These efforts identified 4.86 million new TB cases, including 1.49 million asymptomatic patients.
The WHO report noted that India's estimated TB mortality rate fell from 280 per million people in 2015 to 180 per million in 2025. Globally, the report indicates that 1.13 million people died from TB in 2025, and the disease remains the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide.
Key facts
- India's TB mortality rate decreased from 280 per million in 2015 to 180 per million in 2025.
- Over 67,933 Panchayats were declared TB-free in 2025 following intensified 100-day campaigns.
- The Union health ministry stated that 96% of the country’s TB programme funding is now met via domestic resources.
- Globally, about 88% of new TB cases occurred in 30 countries, with India among the nations accounting for a quarter of the global total.
- The first intensified 100-day campaign was launched on December 7, 2024, across 347 high-priority districts.
Why it matters
India’s progress in lowering mortality rates is significant given that the country remains a major contributor to the global TB burden. The sustained use of AI tools for identifying hotspots and predicting high-risk cases is expected to remain a critical component of the country’s strategy to achieve further reductions in disease transmission and adverse health outcomes.
Background
Tuberculosis is a preventable and curable infectious disease caused by bacteria that typically affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or spit. Globally, individuals with compromised immune systems—including those living with HIV, diabetes, or those suffering from undernutrition—face a higher risk of contracting the disease.
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