India Achieves 38 Percent Drop in Tuberculosis Deaths Since 2015

India has cut its tuberculosis death rate by 38 percent since 2015, outperforming the global average reduction of 38 percent compared to the world's 35 percent drop, according to the World Health Organization's Global Tuberculosis Report 2026. The country also achieved a 94 percent treatment success rate for patients suffering from drug-susceptible forms of the illness.

Global Numbers And Regional Spread

Globally, 1.13 million people died from the disease in 2025, while 10.6 million people fell ill, making it the leading cause of death worldwide from a single infectious agent. New cases last year included 5.7 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children. Regionally, the South-East Asia Region recorded the highest share of new cases at 35 percent, trailed by the Western Pacific Region at 27 percent and the African Region at 25 percent. Furthermore, 88 percent of all new infections occurred across just 30 nations. India, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Bangladesh together make up about two-thirds of the worldwide total, with the top five countries accounting for 55 percent.

Risk Factors And Treatment Challenges

Roughly half of all people treated for the illness and their families face catastrophic costs exceeding 20 percent of their total household income due to medical expenses and lost wages. Vulnerable individuals face a much higher risk of falling sick. Risk factors contributed to millions of new instances, including undernutrition for 9.6 lakh cases, diabetes for 9.2 lakh, alcohol use disorders for 7.3 lakh, smoking for 6.9 lakh, and HIV infection for 5.5 lakh. Additionally, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis remains a major crisis, with only two out of five affected individuals receiving proper care last year. However, worldwide efforts have saved an estimated 86 million lives since the year 2000.

National Efforts And Official Response

Domestically, screening drives under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan covered over 25 crore people between December 2024 and November 2026. The Union Health Ministry attributed the declining death toll to the National TB Elimination Programme. Key drivers included proactive case finding, artificial intelligence tools for spotting hotspots and high-risk patients, rapid tests, fast treatment start times, and nutritional assistance through schemes like Nikshay Poshan Yojana and Nikshay Mitra.

Context

Tuberculosis spreads through airborne droplets when infected individuals cough or sneeze, primarily attacking the lungs. Despite its severity, the condition is completely preventable and curable when patients complete their full medication courses. Public health experts emphasize that addressing root socio-economic vulnerabilities like malnutrition is just as important as medical treatment for long-term eradication.