WHO Report Highlights India's Progress and Global Burden in Tuberculosis

UPDATE - follow-up to India records 38% drop in TB mortality since 2015: WHO report: India achieved a 38 percent drop in tuberculosis deaths since 2015, which beats the global average drop of 35 percent, as per the World Health Organization's Global Tuberculosis Report 2026. The country also recorded a 94 percent treatment success rate among patients who have drug-susceptible TB.

Global Numbers And Regional Spread

Last year, the South-East Asia Region saw 35 percent of all new TB cases, while the Western Pacific Region had 27 percent and the African Region had 25 percent. Across the world, 10.6 million people fell ill with TB last year, which included 5.7 million men, 3.7 million women and 1.2 million children. A total of 1.13 million people died from the disease globally in 2025, making TB the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Thirty countries accounted for about 88 percent of new cases, with India making up about a quarter of that total.

Risk Factors And Treatment Gaps

Undernutrition, diabetes, alcohol use, smoking and HIV infection drove millions of new cases worldwide last year. Financial strain remains severe, as about 50 percent of people treated for TB and their families face costs greater than 20 percent of their total household income. Multidrug-resistant TB remains a major health crisis, with only about two in five people with drug-resistant forms receiving treatment in 2025. On the positive side, global efforts have saved an estimated 86 million lives since the year 2000.

India's Response

Between December 7, 2024, and November 8, 2026, the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan screened over 25 crore individuals. The Union Health Ministry stated that India's mortality reduction stems from National TB Elimination Programme steps like AI-enabled X-rays, rapid tests, nutritional support via Nikshay Poshan Yojana and Nikshay Mitra, and AI tools such as the Khushi chatbot.

Context

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that mainly harms the lungs and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, though the illness remains both preventable and curable. Public health campaigns focus on early screening, better nutrition, and expanded access to modern diagnostics to catch hidden cases and lower transmission rates in high-burden nations.