Where does India stand in tackling TB?, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• The WHO's Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 indicates that TB remains a leading infectious killer, with over 12 lakh deaths and 1.07 crore people affected in 2024.
• In 2024, 87% of global TB cases were concentrated in 30 countries, with India having the highest burden at 25%.
• India's TB incidence has decreased by 21% from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024.
• The Indian government aimed to eliminate TB by 2025 through the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), but missed the target.
• The government has expanded TB screening, established a large laboratory network, and increased nutritional support to ₹1,000 per month per patient under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY).

Detailed Insights:

• The WHO report highlights that despite progress in TB diagnosis and treatment, funding shortages and unequal access to care pose significant challenges.
• While Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh have the highest number of TB cases, Delhi has the highest TB infection prevalence rate in 2025.
• Challenges in TB elimination in India include drug-resistant TB, weak healthcare infrastructure in rural areas, socio-economic disparities, and social stigma.
• The Indian government has implemented measures such as extensive screening, a large TB laboratory network, and AI-enabled chest X-ray units to combat TB.
• The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) provides direct benefit transfer to TB patients for nutritional support during their treatment.
• Globally, the rate of people falling ill with TB declined by nearly 2% between 2023 and 2024, and deaths from TB fell by 3%.
• Global funding for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment remains insufficient, with only $5.9 billion available in 2024, far short of the $22 billion annual target for 2027.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tuberculosis (TB): An infectious disease caused by bacteria that typically affects the lungs.
• National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP): India's initiative to eliminate TB by 2025, formerly known as the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).
• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): A scheme providing nutritional support to TB patients through direct benefit transfer.