Key Details
The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, released on 12 November, highlights India's progress in reducing TB mortality and improving treatment outcomes.
Intensified Screening Is Expanding Early TB Detection
The TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has expanded proactive screening, particularly among vulnerable and high-risk populations. Following its initial launch on 7 December 2024 across 347 high-priority districts in 33 States and Union Territories, the campaign was expanded nationwide.
The campaign launched a further 100-day phase on 24 March 2026, targeting high-risk villages, urban wards, and congregate settings. Between December 2024 and 8 November 2026, screening activities covered over 25 crore people.
The identification of 14.97 lakh asymptomatic TB cases is particularly significant, highlighting how proactive screening can detect infections that may otherwise remain undiagnosed, enabling earlier treatment and reducing opportunities for transmission.
AI-Enabled Diagnostics and Digital Surveillance Are Strengthening TB Care
India is increasingly integrating technology into TB detection and programme management. Portable AI-enabled digital X-rays, rapid molecular diagnostic tests and AI-based tools for identifying high-risk cases and disease hotspots are strengthening diagnostic capacity.
The Ni-kshay digital platform supports patient tracking, treatment monitoring and programme management, while tools such as the Khushi AI chatbot and avatar videobot support communication and awareness. These interventions are complemented by the integration of TB services with screening and management of comorbidities, including diabetes and undernutrition, to improve continuity and quality of care.
Domestic Investment and Scientific Surveillance Support the National Response
India meets 96% of its TB programme funding requirements through domestic resources, reflecting its commitment to sustaining interventions through national financing.
The WHO report's mortality estimates draw on multiple sources, including the Registrar General of India's Sample Registration System, community-based verbal autopsy assessments and programme data from the Ni-kshay portal. The estimated mortality rate declined from 28 to 18 per lakh population between 2015 and 2025.
Separately, the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis conducted a nationally representative TB prevalence survey in 2025. Its findings have been shared with WHO and remain under technical discussion.
Policy Relevance
India's progress demonstrates the importance of combining early detection, accessible diagnostics, sustained treatment and nutritional support within a comprehensive public health response. The scale of asymptomatic case detection also highlights the value of moving beyond passive, symptom-based diagnosis towards targeted population screening.
However, sustaining these gains will require continued investment in diagnostic infrastructure, treatment adherence, preventive care and last-mile healthcare delivery, particularly among vulnerable populations. Stronger surveillance and coordination between national and State health systems will remain essential to closing gaps in detection and treatment.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How can India sustain its gains in TB mortality reduction by strengthening targeted screening, preventive treatment and community-based healthcare delivery, particularly among vulnerable populations?
