India’s TB incidence rate fell 21 pc since 2015: Nadda tells LS

New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) According to the World Health Organization’s Global TB Report 2025, the incidence rate of tuberculosis in India has shown a 21 per cent decline from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The tuberculosis (TB) mortality rate reduced by 25 per cent from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 21 per lakh population in 2024, while TB treatment coverage in India increased from 53 per cent in 2015 to 92 per cent in 2024, Nadda said in response to a question.

The TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (National TB Elimination Programme) has been implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM) in all the states of the country, he said.

The key strategies of the initiative include identification of the vulnerable population, including the asymptomatic, chest X-ray for early detection, upfront nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for all presumptive TB cases, timely treatment initiation and completion, differentiated care for managing high-risk cases, nutrition support and preventive treatment for the eligible vulnerable population.

Through the screening of the vulnerable population, 26.43 lakh TB cases were diagnosed, including 9.19 lakh asymptomatic cases, which were covered under treatment, the health minister said.

Under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, Nadda said, Rs 1,000 per month per patient is provided for nutritional assistance for the entire duration of treatment.

In Rajasthan, Rs 309 crore has been disbursed to 9.6 lakh TB patients so far, he said. Under the Nikshay Mitra initiative, 3.7 lakh food baskets have been provided to consenting TB patients.

Nadda also said that in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, 8,858 TB cases were diagnosed and covered under treatment during the last three years.

Under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, in Sidhi, Singrauli and Shahdol districts, which cover the Sidhi parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh, 8,400 new TB cases were diagnosed, including 2,126 asymptomatic cases, Nadda said. PTI PLB ARI