India among eight countries accounting for 67 per cent of total TB cases in 2024: WHO

NEW DELHI: India is among eight countries accounting for 67 % of total TB cases in 2024, according to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, released Wednesday. In 2024, 87% of the global number of people who developed TB disease was concentrated in 30 countries.Just eight of them accounted for 67% of the global total: India (25%), Indonesia (10%), the Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%), Pakistan (6.3%), Nigeria (4.8%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (3.9%) and Bangladesh (3.6%). The report said India alone accounted for 28% of deaths globallycaused by TB among HIV-negative people, while the countryaccounted for 25% of deaths among people with or without HIV in 2024. The report said TB remains one of the worlds deadliest infectious killers, which claimed over 1.2 million lives and affected an estimated 10.7 million people in 2024. Between 2023 and 2024, the global rate of people falling ill with TB declined by nearly 2%, while deaths from TB fell by 3%. According to the union health ministry, in 2024, over 26.18 lakh TB patients were diagnosed in India. In 2024, TB incidence in India dropped by 21% from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024 - almost double the rate of decline observed globally. The treatment coverage has increased to 92%, placing India ahead of other high-burden countries and global universal health coverage. Similarly, Indias TB mortality rate has decreased from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 21 per lakh population in 2024, reflecting significant progress in reducing deaths due to TB. This progress has been achieved through strong government commitment, evidenced by a historic near-ten-fold increase in government funding to the TB programme over the last nine years, the ministry added. Since its launch in December 2024, Indias flagship TB elimination mission, the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan has achieved extensive reach, screening over 19 crore vulnerable individuals for TB across the country leading to the detection of over 24.5 lakh TB patients, including 8.61 lakh asymptomatic TB cases, the ministry in the statement said. This milestone reflects the success of innovative case-finding strategies and expanded access to care, officials added. Treatment success rate under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan increases to 90%, ahead of the global treatment success rate of 88%. Under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, over Rs. 4,406 crores have been disbursed to over 1.37 crore beneficiaries since April 2018, the officials added. India aims to eliminate TB by 2025, ahead of the global target. The WHO report said despite measurable progress in diagnosis, treatment and innovation, persistent challenges in funding and equitable access to care threaten to reverse hard-won gains in the global fight against TB. Over 100 countries achieved at least a 20% reduction in TB incidence rates, and 65 countries achieved reductions of 35% or more in TB-related deaths. It, however, said ending TB globally will require accelerated progress in countries with the highest burden. Highlighting that TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, the WHO report said, some regions and countries show sustained progress, demonstrating that strong political commitment and investment address this ancient disease. Declines in the global burden of TB, and progress in testing, treatment, social protection and research are all welcome news after years of setbacks, but progress is not victory, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. The fact that TB continues to claim over a million lives each year, despite being preventable and curable, is simply unconscionable. WHO is working with countries to build on the progress they have made and accelerate the path to ending TB by 2030. These reductions signal a continued recovery of essential health services following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Timely treatment for TB has saved an estimated 83 million lives since 2000. Between 2023 and 2024, progress continued in TB diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, reflecting the impact of sustained efforts and innovation in countries. The report said that in 2024, 8.3 million people were newly diagnosed with TB and accessed treatment, representing about 78% of the people who fell ill with the disease during that year. Moreover, the coverage of rapid testing for TB diagnosis increased from 48% in 2023 to 54% in 2024; treatment for drug-susceptible TB remained highly effective, with a success rate of 88%; the number of people developing drug-resistant TB each year has been declining, with over 164,000 people receiving treatment in 2024. The latest data show an improvement in the treatment success rate, to 71%, up from 68% the previous year. In 2024, 5.3 million people at high risk of TB received preventive treatment, up from 4.7 million in 2023. The report also highlights data on the significant risk factors driving the epidemic, such as undernutrition, HIV infection, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol use. Confronting these drivers, alongside structural determinants such as poverty, requires coordinated multisectoral action. Despite many gains, global progress levels remain far from meeting the End TB Strategy targets. A significant obstacle is the stagnation of international funding for TB since 2020. In 2024, only US$5.9 billion was available for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment -just over a quarter of the US$22 billion annual target set for 2027. We are at a defining moment in the fight against TB, said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs. Funding cuts and persistent drivers of the epidemic threaten to undo hard-won gains, but with political commitment, sustained investment, and global solidarity, we can turn the tide and end this ancient killer once and for all.