Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Friday highlighted India’s significant progress in combating tuberculosis (TB), with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 reporting a 38 per cent decline in TB mortality since 2015, surpassing the global reduction of 35 per cent.
The report also recorded a 94 per cent treatment success rate among patients with drug-susceptible TB, reflecting improvements in diagnosis, treatment delivery and patient support under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).
Describing the findings as encouraging, Nadda reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that no TB patient is left behind and achieving the goal of a ‘TB-Mukt Bharat’. He emphasised the role of technology, community participation and patient-centric healthcare in accelerating the country’s efforts to eliminate the disease.
In a significant recognition of India’s contribution, the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (WHO SEARO) acknowledged the country’s role in reducing TB mortality across the region.
In a social media post, WHO SEARO said, “India is making a significant contribution to the progress in reducing tuberculosis mortality in the WHO South-East Asia Region.” The organisation also shared the Health Ministry’s announcement on the country’s achievements highlighted in the WHO report.
In his message, Nadda said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s fight against tuberculosis had evolved into a nationwide Jan Andolan, driven by technology, community participation and patient-focused care.
He highlighted sustained investments in early detection, advanced diagnostics, nutritional assistance and community mobilisation as key factors strengthening the country’s TB elimination efforts.
Under the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, more than 25 crore people have been covered through intensified screening, with over 11 crore chest X-rays and three crore molecular tests conducted. These efforts have resulted in the detection of 48.64 lakh TB cases, including nearly 15 lakh asymptomatic cases, enabling early diagnosis and timely treatment, the minister said.
Nadda also highlighted the contribution of artificial intelligence-enabled diagnostic tools, nutritional assistance under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and community support through the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative in improving TB care.
According to the WHO report, India’s estimated TB mortality rate declined from 28 deaths per lakh population in 2015 to 18 deaths per lakh in 2025, marking a 38 per cent reduction.
The report noted that the 94 per cent treatment success rate among patients with drug-susceptible TB reflected improvements in diagnosis, treatment delivery, patient follow-up and comprehensive support services.
India’s progress has been supported by a shift towards proactive case detection, technology-enabled screening and patient-centric healthcare. The TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, initially launched as an intensified 100-day campaign in December 2024 and subsequently expanded nationwide, has strengthened outreach among vulnerable and high-risk populations.
A further intensified campaign launched in March 2026 continued the focus on early detection and timely treatment.
The identification of 14.97 lakh asymptomatic TB cases has highlighted the importance of proactive screening in detecting infections among individuals who may not display typical symptoms. Early diagnosis allows timely treatment, reducing the risk of disease progression and further transmission.
Technological interventions, including AI-enabled portable digital chest X-ray systems, rapid molecular diagnostic technologies and the Ni-kshay digital platform, have strengthened screening, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
These efforts are complemented by nutritional assistance under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and community support through the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative, which provide additional assistance to patients undergoing treatment.
Community participation has also emerged as a key component of India’s TB elimination strategy. In 2025, as many as 67,933 panchayats were declared TB-free, reflecting increased grassroots participation in the national campaign.
The JOSH Teams initiative is further expanding community engagement by involving government officials, NCC cadets and MY Bharat volunteers in awareness generation, outreach and mobilisation activities.
India’s commitment to eliminating TB is also reflected in the fact that 96 per cent of the programme’s funding requirements are being met through domestic resources.
The government said the WHO SEARO recognition and findings of the Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 underline India’s contribution to reducing TB mortality and advancing regional and global efforts against the disease.
Reaffirming the government’s resolve, Nadda said sustained public participation and collective efforts would remain central to achieving a TB-Mukt Bharat.
The government aims to further strengthen prevention, early diagnosis, timely treatment, nutritional assistance and community engagement, with the participation of States and Union Territories, healthcare professionals, development partners and citizens.
-PIB
