TB incidence down 21%, mortality falls 25% in India over decade: Nadda
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Tuesday reaffirmed India’s commitment to eliminating tuberculosis ahead of global targets, as he chaired the national launch event for World TB Day 2026 in Greater Noida.
Marking the occasion, the Minister launched an intensified 100-day TB Mukt Bharat campaign, which will cover 1.58 lakh villages and urban wards through targeted, micro-planned interventions aimed at early detection and improved treatment access.
Observed annually on March 24, World TB Day serves as a global call to end tuberculosis. This year’s theme, “Yes! We Can End TB!”, reflects renewed focus on collective action and accelerated efforts.
Addressing the event, Nadda said India’s TB elimination programme has evolved into a people-driven movement under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with community participation playing a central role. He noted that the country has recorded a 21 per cent decline in TB incidence and a 25 per cent reduction in TB mortality over the past decade, surpassing global trends.
The Minister highlighted that treatment coverage has reached 92 per cent, while undetected TB cases have reduced sharply from over 10 lakh annually to less than one lakh, reflecting strengthened case-finding mechanisms.
Under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, launched in December 2024, over 20 crore vulnerable individuals have been screened, leading to the detection of 32.65 lakh TB cases. Notably, around 10.9 lakh of these were asymptomatic patients, indicating improved identification of hidden infections.
Nadda described this as a key advancement, noting that early detection of asymptomatic cases is essential to breaking transmission chains.
On the technology front, the Union Health Minister launched the TB Mukt Bharat App, featuring an AI-enabled multilingual chatbot “Khushi” to provide real-time guidance on symptoms, treatment, and nearby healthcare facilities. The platform aims to bridge gaps in access to timely care.
Highlighting advancements in treatment, he said the BPaLM regimen has reduced treatment duration for drug-resistant TB from 20 months to six months, improving patient outcomes and adherence.
The Minister also noted that government funding for TB elimination has increased ten-fold—from ₹640 crore in 2015-16 to ₹6,356 crore in 2025-26—supporting improvements in diagnostics, treatment, and research. He credited innovations by the Indian Council of Medical Research, including the TrueNat diagnostic platform, for strengthening TB detection.
Emphasising community participation, Nadda said over 7.16 lakh Ni-kshay Mitras and multiple stakeholders across ministries and civil society are contributing to the TB elimination effort. So far, 67,933 Gram Panchayats have been declared TB-free, and a similar initiative is being extended to urban wards.
Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel highlighted that large-scale screening and decentralised diagnostic systems have strengthened last-mile delivery. She noted the deployment of over 3,000 AI-enabled handheld X-ray units, expansion of more than 9,800 NAAT laboratories, and integration of TB services across 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
She also pointed to social support initiatives, stating that over ₹4,590 crore has been disbursed to 1.39 crore TB patients under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana since 2018.
The Minister stressed that TB is preventable and curable, and called for continued efforts to reduce stigma and ensure early treatment.
During the event, Nadda also flagged off Ni-kshay Vahan vehicles to strengthen last-mile service delivery and felicitated Ni-kshay Mitras for their contribution to supporting TB patients.
