Despite 2025 goal to eliminate TB, India sees 1.5-fold rise in cases: RTI reply

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) The number of Tuberculosis (TB) patients in India has increased by one and a half times in the last five years, despite the central government's goal to eliminate TB by 2025, an RTI reply revealed.

Uttar Pradesh is the most affected state, where 3,83,987 cases have been reported till June this year, while Lakshadweep is the least affected with only nine cases, it read.

The Central Tuberculosis Division of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provided this information in response to an application filed by the PTI under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The total number of TB cases has reached 20,77,591 as of October this year. The number in 2020 was 18,05,670, which in 2024 rose to 26,17,923, the information revealed.

According to the information, 18,05,670 cases of TB were reported in 2020, 21,35,830 in 2021, 24,22,121 in 2022, 25,52,257 in 2023, and 26,17,923 in 2024, indicating a persistent rise. With the rate of cases per lakh population being 131 in 2020, 153 in 2021, 172 in 2022, 179 in 2023, 183 in 2024, and 195 in 2025.

Uttar Pradesh is the most affected state, where 3,83,987 cases have been reported till June this year, whereas 6,81,779 cases were reported in 2024, 6,32,872 in 2023, 5,22,850 in 2022, 4,53,712 in 2021 and 3,66,641 cases in 2020, the RTI said.

It further revealed that 62,342 cases were reported in the national capital till June this year, whereas 1,05,343 cases were reported in 2024, 1,00,523 in 2023, 1,06,731 in 2022, 1,03,038 in 2021 and 86,842 in 2020.

Maharashtra reported 1,15,303 cases till June this year, whereas 2,30,163 cases were recorded in 2024, 2,27,664 in 2023, 2,34,105 in 2022, 1,99,976 in 2021 and 1,59,663 in 2020.

In Bihar, a continuous increase in the patients has also been recorded in the last five years. The state had 98,994 TB cases in 2020, 1,31,703 in 2021, 1,61,165 in 2022, 1,86,974 in 2023 and 2,00,4309 in 2024.

Haryana is also among those states where TB cases have increased for five consecutive years. The state had 62,697 TB cases in 2020, 69,083 in 2021, 75,838 in 2022, 80,490 in 2023 and 86,635 in 2024.

The states most affected by TB are Bihar with 112,503 cases, Madhya Pradesh with 89,833, Rajasthan with 89,215, Gujarat with 69,918, West Bengal with 56,512, Tamil Nadu with 49,276, Haryana with 48,936 and Telangana with 41,027 cases till June 2025.

According to information provided under RTI, Lakshadweep leads the list of least affected, where only nine cases have been reported till June, this year, Ladakh 136 cases, Andaman 368, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu 632, Sikkim 660, Mizoram 1248, Arunachal Pradesh 1348, Manipur 1360, and Puducherry 1692 cases.

TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs, but other organs such as the kidneys, brain, and spinal cord can also be affected.

India aims to eliminate TB by 2025 under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), one of the world's most ambitious health missions. The initiative aims to strengthen diagnosis, treatment, and prevention efforts and accelerate progress towards a 'TB-free India'.

Dr Aamir Nadeem, consultant at Pulmonology Regency Hospital in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, told PTI, "If TB is not diagnosed and treated early, it can be fatal. It can affect other parts of the body besides the lungs. However, the good news is that it can be completely cured, provided the patient completes the full treatment regularly and does not stop taking the medication." When asked about the increase in TB cases, Dr Animesh Arya, Director of Pulmonology, Interventional Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine at Shri Balaji Action Medical Institute in Delhi, said, "People are now more aware of this disease than ever before. People are getting tested as soon as they notice symptoms like cough, fever, weight loss, or fatigue, which helps detect the disease in its early stages." He added, "The government's 'Nikshay Poshan Yojana', free medicine, and treatment facilities have also played a major role. Patients now receive not only medication but also nutritional support, which accelerates recovery. Furthermore, digital reporting systems have made patient monitoring and tracking easier." PTI JG AMJ APL APL