145 tuberculosis deaths reported in Mizoram in 2025.
Marginal decline in cases in 2024.
Aizawl recorded highest number of cases in the state.
Mizoram recorded 145 tuberculosis (TB)-related deaths in 2025, the highest number in the last six years, according to official data under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) of the National Health Mission.
During the year, 2,275 people were diagnosed with TB in the state, including 911 women. While this marked a marginal decline from the record 2,291 cases reported in 2024, the number of fatalities continued its upward trend. Of the total cases detected in 2025, 1,900 were identified at government health facilities, while 375 cases were reported from private centres.
The data show a steady rise in TB-related deaths in Mizoram since 2020. That year, the state recorded 31 fatalities, which increased to 46 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 119 in 2023 and 136 in 2024, before climbing further in 2025.
Health officials said that of the new cases detected this year, 146 patients were diagnosed with multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), while 267 were found to be co-infected with TB and HIV/AIDS. Children below the age of 14 accounted for 141 of the new cases. Overall, around 84 per cent of TB patients in the state were successfully treated.
District-wise data revealed that Aizawl recorded the highest burden, with 1,569 cases, followed by Lunglei with 155 and Kolasib with 138. Serchhip district reported the lowest number of cases at 52.
Officials also highlighted growing community participation under the Prime Minister’s TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. More than 100 people have registered on the ‘Nikshay’ online platform to adopt TB patients or provide financial and nutritional support.
The initiative aims to strengthen community involvement, improve treatment outcomes and leverage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions as part of India’s goal to eliminate TB.
Meanwhile, a report titled 'India’s Progress in Addressing the Challenges of Tuberculosis', released in December 2025, has flagged persistent concerns in the Northeast, rural and tribal regions.
The report, jointly prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), noted that TB prevalence in the Northeastern states stands at 274 cases per one lakh population, significantly higher than the national average of 195 per one lakh. Among tribal populations, the prevalence is even higher at 432 per one lakh.
The report identified six key challenges affecting TB elimination efforts in the Northeast, including migration, ethnicity and difficult terrain; weak public health indicators and health system limitations; bureaucratic hurdles and resource constraints; substance abuse, co-morbidities and rising non-communicable diseases; stigma, non-disclosure and reliance on private treatment; and human displacement leading to disruptions in healthcare services.
(Inputs from PTI)
