Recently, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that India tops the list of 30 countries with the highest number of TB patients in terms of treatment coverage. The report said India is among seven countries where more than 80 percent treatment coverage is available in 2023.

Additionally, India has also significantly increased the number of preventive treatments for TB patients and household contacts of HIV-positive people.

Increase treatment coverage

In India, 12.2 lakh people got preventive treatment in 2023, 10.2 lakh people in 2022 and 4.2 lakh people in 2021. Although tuberculosis medicines are expensive and treatment can last up to two years, the government provides the medicines free of charge. According to the report, treatment was successful in 89 percent of people with drug-sensitive tuberculosis, while treatment was successful in 73 percent of patients with multi-resistant infections resistant to rifampicin, a common drug.

The country will be TB free by 2025

India aims to be TB-free by 2025, five years ahead of the global target. However, the country has 2.8 million cases of tuberculosis, accounting for 26 percent of the global tuberculosis burden. India also had an estimated 3.15 lakh TB-related deaths, which is 29 percent of the global figure.

better case identification

The report also said the gap between estimated cases and actual diagnosed cases is narrowing. India recorded 25.2 lakh cases in 2023, up from 24.2 lakh last year.

TB is increasing rapidly

WHO report also says that TB is re-emerging as the biggest infection by 2023. It has left Covid-19 behind. Nearly 8.2 million new cases of TB were diagnosed this year, rising to more than 7.5 million in 2022.