WHO Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2025:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2025 shows a sharp 21% fall in India’s TB incidence, dropping from 237 per lakh in 2015 to 187 per lakh in 2024 nearly twice the pace of the global decline and marking a major milestone in India’s fight against the disease.
Key Findings of the WHO Global TB Report 2025:
- In 2024, 10.7 million people fell ill with TB and 1.23 million died. The incidence rate was 131 per 100,000 and the case fatality rate was 11.5%.
- TB is among the top 10 causes of death globally and the leading killer from a single infectious agent.
- 30 high-burden countries account for 87% of global TB. The top contributors are India (25%), Indonesia (10%), Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%), Pakistan (6.3%), Nigeria (4.8%), DR Congo (3.9%), Bangladesh (3.6%).
- Undernutrition, low income, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), diabetes, smoking, and alcohol-use disorders.
- India accounts for 25% of global TB cases but has shown one of the fastest declines among high-burden countries. Treatment coverage improved from 53% (2015) to 92% (2024).
- India’s TB mortality rate fell from 28 per lakh in 2015 to 21 per lakh in 2024.
- However, despite this progress, India still accounted for about 28% of all TB deaths worldwide in 2024.
- Treatment success rate under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is at 90% (2024), above the global average of 88%.
- India reports one lakh cases remained “missing,” meaning undiagnosed cases that continue to spread the infection.
- India still contributes 8.8% of the global detection gap, second only to Indonesia (10%).
