India Achieves Remarkable 17.7 Per cent Drop In Tuberculosis Incidence: WHO

India has made substantial strides in reducing tuberculosis (TB) incidence, achieving a notable 17.7 per cent drop from 237 cases per lakh population in 2015 to 195 in 2023, as revealed in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global TB Report 2024, released on October 29. This reduction rate is over twice the global decline of 8.3 per cent, a development attributed to India’s intensified TB control initiatives, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

In 2023, an estimated 27 lakh people were affected by TB in India, of which 25.1 lakh cases were diagnosed and treated, raising India’s treatment coverage from 72 per cent in 2015 to 89 per cent in 2023. This significant progress has been fueled by enhanced case-finding efforts and expanded healthcare infrastructure, including over 1.7 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country, which have brought diagnostic and treatment services closer to communities.

The report also highlights a steady decline in TB-related mortality in India, dropping from 28 deaths per lakh in 2015 to 22 in 2023, representing a 21.4 per cent decrease. Acknowledging these milestones, WHO commended India’s commitment to closing the gap of missed TB cases and reducing mortality rates through a combination of strategic financing, advanced diagnostic tools, and effective treatment plans.

A core factor behind these achievements is the government's enhanced funding and expansion of the National TB Elimination Programme. The TB budget saw a significant increase from Rs 640 crores in 2015 to Rs 3,400 crores in 2022-23, with the majority sourced from domestic funds. This investment has enabled India to deploy cutting-edge molecular diagnostic technologies, adopt new and more effective treatment protocols, and provide free diagnostic and treatment services to all TB patients. India’s extensive TB laboratory network now includes 7,767 rapid molecular testing facilities and 87 culture and drug susceptibility testing labs, soon to be complemented by 800 AI-enabled portable chest x-ray machines to further bolster diagnostic capacity.

Another noteworthy initiative is the government’s Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), which recently doubled financial support for TB patients from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per month for the entire duration of their treatment. As of this year, Rs 3,202 crore has been transferred directly to 1.13 crore beneficiaries through NPY. Additionally, the introduction of Energy Dense Nutritional Supplementation (EDNS) will benefit approximately 12 lakh undernourished TB patients, providing essential nutrition during the initial two months of treatment.

WHO’s recognition highlights the transformative changes in India’s TB response over the past eight years, underscoring the country's commitment to achieving TB elimination through robust healthcare delivery and sustained public health initiatives.