India sees 21% dip in TB cases but has 25% of new patients globally

NEW DELHI: Even though there has been an impressive 21% decline in the number of TB cases in India, the country still accounted for 25% of all new TB cases globally in 2024, according to the WHO Global TB Report 2025.

India's TB incidence - new cases emerging each year - fell from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh in 2024, nearly twice the global rate of decline (12%), making it one of the steepest reductions recorded among high-burden nations. The report said 30 high TB-burden countries accounted for 87% of the total global TB cases, with India, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, and Pakistan making up over half (55%) of all new infections. The South-East Asia Region alone contributed 34% of global cases, followed by the Western Pacific (27%) and Africa (25%).


According to a statement issued by the health ministry, India's sharp decline reflects intensified efforts under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan , supported by innovative case-finding strategies, adoption of advanced diagnostic technologies, and massive community mobilisation.

Treatment coverage rose from 53% in 2015 to over 92% in 2024, with 26.18 lakh patients diagnosed out of an estimated 27 lakh cases, cutting "missing" TB cases from 15 lakh to less than one lakh. The treatment success rate reached 90%, above the global average of 88%, with no major rise in multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).