Cases down by 17.7 per cent
India’s National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) has reached a major milestone, with 26.07 lakh TB cases notified in 2024, the highest ever recorded. Since 2015, the incidence rate of TB has dropped by 17.7 per cent, from 237 cases per lakh population to 195 in 2023, while TB-related deaths have decreased by 21.4 per cent.
These achievements were highlighted by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel while inaugurating the India Innovation Summit – “Pioneering Solutions to End TB” at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre in Delhi
She praised the transformative role of innovation in India’s TB elimination efforts. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has made remarkable strides in TB control,” she said and added, “The number of missing cases has been reduced from 15 lakh in 2015 to 2.5 lakh in 2023.”
The summit, jointly organized by the Department of Health Research (DHR), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Central TB Division (CTD) of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, aims to fast-track India’s progress toward eliminating TB by 2025.
Patel also detailed the advancements in TB treatment, including the rollout of a shorter, safer oral regimen for drug-resistant TB across all states and Union Territories, which has improved treatment success rates from 68 per cent in 2020 to 75 per cent in 2022. She highlighted the introduction of the mBPaL treatment regimen, which is 80 per cent more effective in treating multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and reduces treatment duration to six months.
Further, she discussed the Energy Dense Nutritional Support (EDNS) initiative for undernourished TB patients, and the expansion of the Ni-kshay Mitra Initiative, which provides additional support and food baskets to TB patients and their household contacts. The financial assistance for TB patients under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana has been doubled to ₹1,000 per month, effective November 2024.
Patel also underscored the impact of the ongoing “TB Mukt Bharat – 100 Days Intensified Campaign,” launched on December7, 2024, covering 455 high-priority districts. The campaign focuses on early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and comprehensive care for vulnerable populations, with the report set to be released on World TB Day in March 2025.
Highlighting innovations, she revealed that ICMR has validated three indigenous handheld X-ray devices, enabling more accessible TB screening for vulnerable populations. Additionally, AI-based tools like DeepCXR are enhancing the speed and accuracy of TB detection, and indigenous molecular diagnostic tests, such as PathoDetectTM, are expanding the capacity for early detection of drug resistance. VK Paul, Member of NITI Aayog, praised India’s progress and emphasised the need for innovation in TB detection and treatment. He reiterated India’s commitment to eliminating not only TB but also five other diseases—Leprosy, Lymphatic filariasis, Measles, Rubella, and Kala-azar—within the next five years.