India has been facing the problem of TB for a long time. But according to the recent WHO report, the country's goal of becoming TB free seems to be achieved. 

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) report has stated that India is at the top in terms of treatment coverage among the 30 countries with the highest number of TB patients. The report says that India is among the seven countries where more than 80 percent treatment coverage is available in 2023. 

Along with this, India has also significantly increased the number of preventive therapy for household contacts of TB patients and HIV positive people.

Increasing treatment coverage

In 2023, 12.2 lakh people were given preventive therapy in India, up from 10.2 lakh in 2022 and 4.2 lakh in 2021. Although tuberculosis drugs are expensive and treatment can last up to two years, the government is providing free medicines. According to the report, 89 percent of people with drug-sensitive tuberculosis were successfully treated, while the figure was 73 percent for patients with multi-resistant and resistant infections to a common drug, rifampicin.

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 reported 28 lakh tuberculosis cases, accounting for 26 per cent of the global tuberculosis burden. India also had an estimated 3.15 lakh tuberculosis-related deaths, accounting for 29 per cent of the global figure. 

Improved case identification

The report also states that the gap between estimated cases and actually diagnosed cases is decreasing. India reported 25.2 lakh cases in 2023, while the number was 24.2 lakh in the previous year.

TB is increasing rapidly

The WHO report also states that TB is re-emerging as the biggest infection from 2023. It has overtaken COVID-19. About 8.2 million people were diagnosed with new TB cases this year, which is more than 7.5 million in 2022.