Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s deadliest infectious
disease, infecting and killing millions of people globally every year. In an
attempt to end this epidemic by raising awareness about the devastating impact
it can have on the social and economic life of those infected by the disease,
World TB Day is celebrated on March 24 every year. This year, a clarion call
was made to the global community for a heightened commitment to eliminate the
disease by 2030. The net reduction in the TB incidence from 2015 to 2023 was
8.3%, which is encouraging, but it is far from the WHO’s target of a 50%
reduction by 2025. According to the WHO, 10.8 million were infected by the
disease in 2023, and 1.25 million succumbed to it. Data indicates that the TB
incidence rate in India has also dropped over the years, witnessing a decline
of 17.7% between 2015 and 2023, while the death cases also declined by 21.4%
during the same period. This trend is encouraging, but the number of new cases
emerging each year is said to be about 30 lakh, which means India won’t be able
to achieve its ambitious target of eliminating the disease by 2025.
The decline in TB cases is a result of a consistent
commitment to ending the disease. For instance, the National TB Elimination
Programme (NTEP), which is implemented under the aegis of the National Health
Mission (NHM), boosted TB screening and treatment services, including providing
free drugs and diagnostics support. The 100-day Intensified TB Mukt Bharat
Abhiyaan (TB elimination campaign), which concluded recently, was another
initiative of the central government to combat the deadly disease through early
detection and treatment. The Union Health Ministry has updated that nearly 13
crore people were screened for TB under this programme, and more than seven
lakh patients were detected across the country, which is commendable. With
India accounting for more than 25 per cent of TB cases globally, as per the WHO
data, it will be challenging to end the disease by 2030, but it is not
impossible either. A total of 166 villages in Nagaland were declared TB-free in
2024 after due verification, helped by active implementation of the TB Mukt
Panchayat initiative, for which the state was awarded during the World TB Day
2025 Summit in New Delhi. Other states can draw inspiration from this success
story. Besides early diagnosis and quality treatment, community involvement is
vital in combating the diseases, more so because of the declining international
funding. The decision of the Donald Trump administration to cut the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) too has the potential to
cripple TB eradication programmes in many developing countries and undo the
gains made over the years.
