New Delhi, Nov 13 (NationPress) In a remarkable advancement, the incidence of Tuberculosis (TB) in India has seen a reduction of 21 percent – decreasing from 237 cases per lakh population in 2015 to 187 cases per lakh population in 2024, as reported by the government.

This decline is nearly double the global average of 12 percent, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 'Global TB Report 2025'.

The Ministry of Health attributes this achievement to India's innovative approach to case finding, which includes rapid adoption of advanced technologies, decentralizing services, and extensive community mobilization. As a result, treatment coverage has surged to over 92 percent in 2024, up from 53 percent in 2015, with 26.18 lakh TB patients diagnosed in 2024, out of an estimated 27 lakh cases.

This success has significantly reduced the number of “missing cases” – individuals who had TB but were not reported – from an estimated 15 lakhs in 2015 to less than one lakh in 2024.

Additionally, there has been no notable increase in the count of Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) TB patients in the nation. The treatment success rate under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan has risen to 90 percent, surpassing the global success rate of 88 percent.

India's TB mortality rate has also dropped from 28 per lakh in 2015 to 21 per lakh in 2024, highlighting substantial progress in curbing TB-related deaths.

This advancement is a result of strong governmental commitment, showcased by a historic near-ten-fold increase in funding for the TB program over the past nine years.

Since its inception in December 2024, India’s flagship TB elimination initiative, the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, has effectively screened over 19 crore vulnerable individuals for TB, leading to the identification of over 24.5 lakh TB cases, including 8.61 lakh asymptomatic infections.

This proactive strategy leverages both global and local data, emphasizing the prevalence of asymptomatic TB in high-burden regions.

The Ministry has also enhanced nutritional support for TB patients. The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) has been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 per month per patient throughout their treatment.

Since its launch in April 2018, a total of Rs 4,406 crore has been disbursed directly into the bank accounts of 1.37 crore beneficiaries. Furthermore, 6,77,541 individuals and organizations have joined as Ni-kshay Mitras, distributing over 45 lakh food baskets to TB patients, showcasing a robust and growing public-private-community partnership in India's battle against TB.