India’s Fight Against TB: 21% Drop in Cases but Still a Quarter of Global Burden, Says WHO Report 2025
New Delhi: India has made notable progress in reducing the burden of tuberculosis (TB), with a 21% decline in new cases and a 28% fall in deaths between 2015 and 2024, according to the WHO Global TB Report 2025. Yet, despite these encouraging trends, India continues to account for nearly one-fourth of all new TB cases worldwide, making it the single largest contributor to the global TB burden.
The WHO report estimates that 27.1 lakh new TB cases and over 3 lakh TB-related deaths occurred in India in 2024. Globally, 10.7 million people fell ill and 1.23 million died of TB in the same year. These figures underline that India alone represents around 25% of all TB cases and deaths globally, even as its national incidence rate continues to decline.
Decline, But Elimination Still Out of Reach
India’s TB trajectory reflects progress but not elimination. The WHO report highlights that, while India’s reduction in TB incidence (21%) and deaths (28%) between 2015 and 2024 is better than the global average decline of 12%, the country remains far from the End TB milestones.
Under WHO’s global strategy, countries were expected to achieve a 50% reduction in TB incidence and 75% reduction in TB deaths by 2025 compared to 2015 levels. India’s achievement — roughly half of that benchmark — signals strong momentum but also underscores the scale of work that remains.
India had also set an ambitious goal to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target. However, experts say the data suggests that goal may not be realistic without accelerated efforts in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment coverage.
Major Gains in Diagnosis and Treatment
A key highlight of the report is India’s significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment coverage.
In 2024, 92% of all estimated TB patients in India were diagnosed and put on treatment — a sharp increase from 85% in 2023 and just 53% in 2015.
According to the Union Health Ministry, the progress is driven by rapid adoption of molecular diagnostic tools, AI-enabled handheld X-ray screening, and community-led case-finding initiatives. These efforts have substantially reduced the number of “missing cases” — undiagnosed or untreated infections that contribute to continued transmission.
“India’s innovative case-finding approach, decentralisation of TB services, and large-scale community mobilisation have led to a treatment coverage surge from 53% in 2015 to over 92% in 2024,”said the Union Health Ministry in an official statement.
https://x.com/MoHFW_INDIA/status/1988630345303076971
Technology and Community: The Game Changers
The report credits India’s growing use of artificial intelligence, molecular testing, and grassroots awareness campaigns as key tools in curbing transmission and improving detection. AI-driven portable X-rays have particularly helped in identifying asymptomatic TB cases in remote areas — a breakthrough that could be crucial for early detection and control.
Challenges Ahead
While India’s decline in TB burden outpaces the global average, experts caution that the country is still off-track from its elimination target. Sustaining progress will require continued investment in screening technologies, nutrition support, primary healthcare, and social protection for vulnerable groups.
Public health specialists say that maintaining the momentum of innovation — along with strong political and community commitment — will be key to transforming India’s fight against TB from progress to elimination.
