Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Friday, 13 November 2026, cited the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 to highlight that India has reduced tuberculosis-related deaths by 38 per cent since 2015, outpacing the global average decline of 35 per cent over the same period. The report also credited India with a 94 per cent treatment success rate — a figure that health officials say reflects a decade of intensified public health investment.

What the WHO Data Shows

According to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, India's estimated TB mortality rate dropped from 280 deaths per million people in 2015 to 180 deaths per million in 2025. This decline is steeper than the global trajectory and comes amid a broader push to eliminate TB from India by 2025 — a target the government had set ahead of the UN Sustainable Development Goal deadline of 2030.

However, the same report flags a significant caveat: India still accounts for 25 per cent of all global TB cases in 2025, underscoring that while mortality is falling, the burden of disease remains disproportionately concentrated in the country. India also remains among four countries that together account for more than 50 per cent of global multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB cases — though the WHO and the Indian government both confirmed that MDR-TB incidence has been gradually declining.

Key Programmes Driving the Decline

Nadda, in a post on X, attributed the progress to the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and several technology-driven initiatives. Under the programme, more than 25 crore people have been covered under intensified screening, over 11 crore chest X-rays have been conducted, and more than 3 crore molecular tests carried out. A total of 48.64 lakh TB cases have been detected — including nearly 15 lakh asymptomatic cases — enabling early treatment before the disease progresses.

'From AI-enabled diagnostics to nutritional support under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and the dedicated efforts of Ni-kshay Mitras, we are strengthening every aspect of TB care,' Nadda said. He added that these achievements 'reinforce the government's resolve to ensure that no TB patient is left behind.'

What the Government Said

Nadda framed the gains as a product of collective effort under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, describing India's TB fight as a 'nationwide Jan Andolan, powered by technology, community participation and patient-centric care.' He said the government would continue moving towards a 'TB-Mukt Bharat' through what he termed 'Jan Bhagidari' — citizen participation — and institutional commitment.

Limitations and What Comes Next

The WHO noted that India's TB profile will be separately reviewed and updated after it analyses district-level sentinel surveillance (DLSS) data in collaboration with India's Central TB Division and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). That review could refine current estimates — in either direction. Critics and global health researchers have previously noted that case detection rates and notification data can understate true burden in countries with large informal healthcare sectors. The continuing MDR-TB challenge and India's outsized share of global cases suggest the road to elimination remains long, even as the mortality trend points in the right direction.