PM Modi hails India’s sharpest-ever decline in TB cases, nearly double the global average

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded India’s significant progress in the fight against Tuberculosis (TB), highlighting that the country has achieved one of the steepest declines in TB incidence globally, a rate nearly double the world average.

The Prime Minister’s remarks followed the release of the latest World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, which validated the effectiveness of India’s intensified, technology-driven elimination strategy.

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“India’s fight against TB is achieving remarkable momentum. The latest WHO Global tuberculosis report 2025 highlights that India has recorded a commendable reduction in TB incidence since 2015 and it is nearly twice the global rate of decline. This is one of the sharpest drops seen anywhere in the world,” Prime Minister Modi stated in a post on X.

He affirmed the government’s resolve, adding, “Equally heartening is the expansion of treatment coverage, the fall in ‘missing cases’ and the sustained rise in treatment success. I compliment all those who have worked towards achieving this success. We remain committed to ensuring a healthy and fit India!”

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) elaborated on the key statistics from the report, confirming a massive decline across several indicators:

Incidence Reduction: TB incidence in India dropped by 21%—from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024. This figure is almost double the global decline rate of 12%.

Mortality: India achieved a higher reduction in mortality due to TB than the global average, with the death rate falling from 28 to 21 per lakh population over the same period.

Treatment Success: The treatment success rate under the flagship TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan surged to 90%, exceeding the global success rate of 88%. This achievement is linked to the dramatic rise in treatment coverage, which has reached 92% nationally, up from 53% in 2015.

The Ministry noted that this surge in case finding—with over 26.18 lakh TB patients diagnosed in 2024—has successfully reduced the number of “missing cases” (undiagnosed TB patients) from an estimated 15 lakhs in 2015 to less than one lakh today.

The rapid progress has been financed by a historic commitment, with the annual budget for the TB programme rising nearly ten-fold over the last nine years. This has enabled the introduction of cutting-edge technology and decentralised care.

“Early detection of drug resistant TB is enabled by wider coverage of susceptibility testing to Rifampicin in India, which is 92%, compared to 83% globally,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare highlighted.

Under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, launched in December 2024, technological innovations are central. These include the deployment of “newer technologies such as hand-held X-ray devices with AI-enabled reporting” and expanded molecular diagnostic infrastructure across 9,391 rapid molecular testing facilities. This proactive screening has led to the detection of 24.5 lakh patients, including over 8.61 lakh asymptomatic TB cases.

Crucially, the government’s efforts have been reinforced by a strong community mobilisation component, known as Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation).

The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, which provides nutritional support, has disbursed over Rs 4,406 crores to more than 1.37 crore beneficiaries since April 2018. Furthermore, the community support initiative has seen over 6.77 lakh individuals and organizations enroll as Ni-kshay Mitras, distributing over 45 lakh food baskets to patients.