New Delhi: In 2023, Tuberculosis (TB) reclaimed its position as the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, surpassing COVID-19, with 1.25 million fatalities worldwide. India, contributing over a quarter of global TB cases, remains a hotspot.
Meanwhile, the advancements in treatment, including discovery of the novel drug Bedaquiline, have significantly improved drug-resistant TB management as well as overall survival rates in these patients. According to WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2024, India’s TB incidence has declined by 17.7%, from 237 cases per 100,000 in 2015 to 195 per 100,000 in 2023, surpassing the global average reduction of 8.3%. TB-related mortality has also dropped by 22%, from 32 to 23 per 100,000.
India’s steadfast commitment to TB eradication
In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set an ambitious goal to eliminate TB in India by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target. This led to the rebranding of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) as the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in 2020. Under NTEP, interventions such as enhanced case detection, universal drug testing, private sector engagement, and nutritional support under Nikshay Poshan Yojana were implemented.
Despite progress, challenges remain, including multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), limited treatment accessibility in remote areas, and social stigma. Experts emphasize the need for sustained political commitment, increased funding, and innovative approaches such as AI-driven diagnostics and digital health tools.
Scientific leaders meet UP CM to discuss TB, emerging technologies & partnerships
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, reported over 620,000 TB cases in 2023, the highest in the country. In response, the state government launched a 100-day intensive TB detection campaign in December 2024, identifying thousands of new cases. This initiative focuses on early diagnosis, active case-finding, and treatment adherence.
On February 27, 2025, Prof. Anil Koul (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) and Prof. Alok Dhawan (Director, Centre of Biomedical Research) met Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath to discuss the way forward for improving the technology and innovation landscape in healthcare.
The discussion also centered on recent progress, challenges, and strategies to align with India’s TB elimination goals.
Prof. Alok Dhawan stated, “The Chief Minister acknowledged Prof. Koul and his team’s discovery of Bedaquiline and encouraged continued innovation in anti-TB drugs. He also praised healthcare workers, ASHA volunteers, and the NTEP for improving TB detection and treatment access. The goal is to make Uttar Pradesh TB-free and contribute to India’s and PM Modi’s vision of eradicating the disease.”
The meeting highlighted the state’s 100-day TB detection campaign and emphasized the need for enhanced drug-resistance monitoring, expanded Bedaquiline use for MDR-TB, and increased public awareness initiatives.
Advancing TB research and AI integration
During the discussions with CM, Prof. Koul expressed interest in collaborating with state institutions to develop next-generation anti-TB therapeutics. He also stressed the potential of AI in accelerating drug discovery and the importance of academic exchange programs to nurture and develop local scientific talent in hospitals and research institutions.
Prof. Koul remarked, “We are committed to driving scientific innovation in TB drug development, building on Bedaquiline’s success. AI-driven platforms can revolutionize drug discovery. Improving access to novel treatments, including emerging disease therapies such as cell-based treatments for cancer can only succeed if they build multi disciplinary collaborations between physicians treating the patients as well as R&D institutions both locally as well as globally.”
Collaborative approach for TB elimination
Earlier, Prof. Koul met with Prof. Sonia Nityanand,Vice Chancellor of King George Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow and Prof. Rajiv Garg, Head, Respiratory Division, KGMU to evaluate Bedaquiline’s impact, address supply challenges, and assess patient experiences with drug-resistant TB.
Dr. Rajiv Garg emphasized the critical role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in India’s TB control strategy. “Private sector notifications rose from 1.9 lakh in 2015 to 8.4 lakh in 2023, ensuring better disease monitoring. Under the Ni-Kshay Mitra initiative, over 1.5 lakh community donors and corporations have supported TB patients. In UP alone, 29,290 Mitras have adopted over 50,000 patients,” he stated.
He noted that while the COVID-19 pandemic strained healthcare systems, it also strengthened India’s healthcare infrastructure, which indirectly benefited NTEP through improved diagnostics and funding.
The road ahead
To accelerate TB elimination, India must strengthen healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural and remote areas. It must mobilize domestic and international resources to bridge funding gaps besides implement multisectoral approaches to address social determinants like living conditions and nutrition. There is also a dire need to invest in research and development for new diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments.
India’s commitment to ending TB is closely watched, as the nation races against time to overcome one of humanity’s oldest diseases.
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