Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed India’s healthcare workers for their relentless efforts in combating tuberculosis (TB), as the country recorded one of the steepest declines in TB incidence globally—nearly double the global rate of reduction.
“The latest WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 highlights that India has achieved a remarkable decline in TB incidence since 2015, nearly twice the global rate of decline,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.
Calling the achievement a matter of pride for the nation, Modi expressed satisfaction with the extensive treatment coverage and coordinated efforts of all agencies involved in TB control. “Equally heartening is the expansion of treatment coverage, the fall in ‘missing cases,’ and the sustained rise in treatment success. I compliment all those who have worked tirelessly to achieve this success. We remain committed to ensuring a healthy and fit India,” he added.
With the country aiming to eliminate TB by 2025—five years ahead of the global target—India’s performance stands out as a model of coordinated, patient-centric public health intervention.
According to the WHO report, India’s TB incidence rate—representing new cases each year—has fallen by 21 per cent, from 237 cases per lakh population in 2015 to 187 cases per lakh in 2024. This pace of decline is almost twice that of the global average, which stands at 12 per cent.
The Union Health Ministry attributed this progress to India’s innovative case-finding approach, the rapid adoption of advanced diagnostic technologies, decentralisation of healthcare services, and large-scale community engagement.
Treatment coverage has expanded substantially, rising from 53 per cent in 2015 to over 92 per cent in 2024. Of the estimated 27 lakh TB cases in the country this year, 26.18 lakh patients were successfully diagnosed and brought under treatment.
As a result, the number of “missing cases”—patients who contracted TB but remained unreported—has dropped dramatically from an estimated 15 lakh in 2015 to fewer than one lakh in 2024. The country’s treatment success rate has also climbed to 90 per cent, surpassing the global average of 88 per cent under the government’s TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
India has also made notable progress in reducing TB-related deaths. The mortality rate has declined from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 21 per lakh in 2024, marking a significant improvement in disease management and patient outcomes.
Despite this progress, the WHO report cautions that challenges persist, especially in diagnosing and treating multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and reaching marginalized populations in remote or urban-poor settings. Interruptions in treatment, social stigma, and lack of awareness continue to pose barriers to elimination.
India’s success, while commendable, must be sustained through continued investment in public health systems, expansion of laboratory networks, and integration of TB services with broader primary health care, experts say.
