India cuts TB deaths 38% since 2015, outpaces global average: WHO
Synopsis
India has cut TB deaths by 38% since 2015 — faster than the global average — according to the WHO Global TB Report 2026. But the country still carries 25% of the world's TB burden and remains among the top four nations for MDR-TB. The mortality number is a win; the incidence number is the harder battle yet to be won.
Key Takeaways
India reduced TB-related deaths by 38% between 2015 and 2025 , outpacing the global average decline of 35% , per the WHO Global TB Report 2026 .
The TB mortality rate fell from 280 deaths per million in 2015 to 180 deaths per million in 2025.
India still accounts for 25% of all global TB cases in 2025 — the highest share of any country.
India is among four countries contributing more than 50% of global MDR-TB cases, though MDR-TB incidence is gradually declining.
India's TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has screened more than 25 crore people and conducted over 11 crore chest X-rays .
Updated TB incidence trend estimates for India are expected in early 2027 after DLSS data analysis with ICMR and the Central TB Division .
India has reduced tuberculosis-related deaths by 38 per cent since 2015, surpassing the global average decline of 35 per cent, according to the World Health Organization's Global TB Report 2026. The estimated TB mortality rate in India fell from 280 deaths per million people in 2015 to 180 deaths per million in 2025, a decline that health experts say reflects a decade of sustained public health investment.
However, the gains come with a significant caveat: India still accounts for 25 per cent of all TB cases globally in 2025, making it the single largest contributor to the world's TB burden.
India's Progress Against Global Benchmarks
The WHO report places India's mortality reduction ahead of the worldwide average, a notable achievement for a country managing the largest share of TB incidence. The global TB burden remains concentrated, with most cases arising from 30 high-burden countries. After India, the next largest contributors to global TB cases in 2025 were Indonesia at 10 per cent, the Philippines at 6.8 per cent, China at 6.5 per cent, Pakistan at 6.4 per cent, Nigeria at 4.9 per cent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 3.9 per cent, and Bangladesh at 3.7 per cent.
The MDR-TB Challenge
India remains among just four countries that together account for more than 50 per cent of global multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB cases in 2025, underscoring the complexity of the challenge despite overall mortality gains. Both the WHO and the Indian government have confirmed, however, that MDR-TB incidence has been gradually declining. The WHO noted that India's TB profile will be separately reviewed and updated following an analysis of district-level sentinel surveillance (DLSS) data, undertaken in collaboration with India's Central TB Division and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
'Following completion of this work, estimates of trends in TB incidence are expected to be updated in early 2027 after which WHO will publish an updated country profile for India,' the WHO stated.
What the Government's TB Programme Has Delivered
India's Health Ministry said the fall in TB mortality reflects the country's strong performance under its patient-centred care model. A treatment success rate of 94 per cent was highlighted as evidence of effective delivery. The government's TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has brought more than 25 crore people under intensified screening, with over 11 crore chest X-rays conducted to strengthen early detection. In 2025, 48.64 lakh new TB cases were identified, including 14.97 lakh asymptomatic cases — a signal that the surveillance net is widening.
What Comes Next
The updated incidence trend estimates for India are expected in early 2027, once the DLSS data analysis is complete. That revision may alter the picture of how fast India is actually reducing new infections — a metric distinct from mortality, and arguably the harder one to move. This comes amid India's broader goal of eliminating TB by 2025 under the National Strategic Plan — a target widely acknowledged to be aspirational given the current incidence figures, and one that experts say will now require an accelerated push into the final stretch of the decade.
Point of View
And the 94% treatment success rate is among the best for a high-burden country. But mortality and incidence are different metrics — and on incidence, India still carries a quarter of the world's burden. The fact that revised incidence estimates won't arrive until early 2027 means the full picture remains incomplete. The TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan's 2025 elimination target was always aspirational; what matters now is whether the detection infrastructure being built — 11 crore X-rays, 25 crore screenings — translates into a measurable incidence curve that bends before 2030.
NationPress
14 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
By how much has India reduced TB deaths since 2015?
India has cut TB-related deaths by 38% since 2015, reducing the mortality rate from 280 deaths per million people in 2015 to 180 deaths per million in 2025, according to the WHO Global TB Report 2026. This exceeds the global average decline of 35% over the same period.
Does India still have the highest TB burden in the world?
Yes. Despite the decline in deaths, India accounted for 25% of all global TB cases in 2025, the highest share of any single country. Indonesia was second at 10%.
What is India's MDR-TB situation?
India remains among four countries that together account for more than 50% of global multidrug-resistant TB cases in 2025. However, both the WHO and the Indian government have confirmed that MDR-TB incidence is gradually declining.
What is the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan?
The TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is the Indian government's intensified TB elimination campaign. It has brought more than 25 crore people under screening and facilitated over 11 crore chest X-rays for early detection, identifying 48.64 lakh new TB cases in 2025.
When will WHO update India's TB incidence estimates?
The WHO expects to publish updated TB incidence trend estimates for India in early 2027, following completion of district-level sentinel surveillance data analysis in collaboration with the Central TB Division and ICMR.
