Home / Health / India Achieves 92% TB Treatment Coverage, but Elimination Remains Distant
India Achieves 92% TB Treatment Coverage, but Elimination Remains Distant
13 Nov
Summary
- India accounts for nearly a fourth of global TB cases and deaths in 2024
- India reduced TB incidence by 21% and deaths by 28% between 2015-2024
- TB treatment coverage in India surged to over 92% in 2024 from 53% in 2015
As of November 13, 2025, the Global TB Report 2025 reveals that India's tuberculosis (TB) burden is declining, but the country remains far from achieving elimination. In 2024, India estimated 27.1 lakh TB cases and just over 3 lakh deaths, accounting for nearly a fourth of all global cases and fatalities.
While India has reduced its TB incidence by 21% and deaths by 28% between 2015 and 2024, it is nowhere close to meeting the WHO's End TB milestone for 2025 - a 50% reduction in incidence and 75% reduction in deaths compared to 2015. In fact, India has only achieved half of the global 2020 milestone of a 20% reduction in incidence and 35% reduction in deaths.
However, the report highlights a significant improvement in India's TB treatment coverage. In 2024, around 92% of the estimated TB patients in the country were diagnosed and put on treatment, up from 85% in 2023 and 53% in 2015. This surge in coverage is credited to India's innovative case-finding approaches, including the use of AI-enabled handheld X-rays and large-scale community mobilization. As a result, the number of "missing cases" - those not diagnosed and treated - has dropped from an estimated 15 lakh in 2015 to less than 1 lakh in 2024.
