Context

According to the India TB Report 2024 released by the Union Health ministry The gap between the estimated number and actual cases of tuberculosis (TB) is closing.

Key Highlights of the India TB Report 2024

• Missing Cases: There were only 2.3 lakh missing cases in 2023, as compared to 3.2 lakh the year before
• Comparison between Private and Government Health Centres: The majority of the TB cases are still reported by the government health centers, even as there has been an uptick in notifications by the private sector.
  • Nearly 33% or 8.4 lakh of the 25.5 lakh cases reported in 2023 came from the private sector. 
  • To compare, only 1.9 lakh cases were reported by the private sector in 2015
• Increase in Estimated incidence: The estimated incidence of TB in 2023 increased slightly to 27.8 lakh from the previous year’s estimate of 27.4 lakh. 
• Mortality Rate: The mortality due to the infection remained the same at 3.2 lakh as per the data.
• India specific data: India reached its 2023 target of initiating treatment in 95% of patients diagnosed with the infection.
  • It says 58% of those diagnosed were offered a test to check whether their infection was resistant to the first line drugs, an increase from 25% in 2015.