What is the global trend in TB cases and deaths?

According to the WHO report, between 2023 and 2024, the global rate of people falling ill with TB declined by nearly 2%, while deaths from TB fell by 3%.

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TB Remains Deadly Scourge, Claiming Over 1.2 Million Lives in 2024

Q: How has India performed in the fight against TB?

The report states that TB incidence in India has dropped by 21% from 2015 to 2024, almost double the global rate of decline. However, the disease continues to pose serious challenges, including a high burden of drug-resistant TB.

Q: What are the key challenges in eliminating TB in India?

The article mentions several challenges, including weak healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural areas, socio-economic disparities affecting access to diagnosis and treatment, supply chain disruptions leading to stockouts of anti-TB drugs, and social stigma attached to the disease.

16 Nov

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Summary

TB affected an estimated 107 million people globally in 2024
India, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Pakistan among countries with highest TB burden
India's TB incidence dropped by 21% from 2015 to 2024

TB Remains Deadly Scourge, Claiming Over 1.2 Million Lives in 2024

According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, released just last week, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases. In 2024, TB affected an estimated 107 million people globally and claimed over 1.2 million lives.

The report highlights that 87% of the world's TB patients were concentrated in just 30 countries, with the highest rates found in India (25%), Indonesia (10%), the Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%), and Pakistan (6.3%). Despite progress in diagnosis, treatment, and innovation, persistent challenges in funding and equitable access to care threaten to reverse hard-won gains in the global fight against TB.

While India has a large volume of TB cases, the country has seen a significant decline in incidence, dropping by 21% from 237 per 100,000 population in 2015 to 187 per 100,000 in 2024 - nearly double the global rate of decline. However, the disease continues to pose serious health, social, and economic challenges, including a high burden of drug-resistant TB, weak healthcare infrastructure, and socio-economic disparities affecting access to diagnosis and treatment.