India is on a fast-track mode to eliminate the huge burden created by the rising cases of tuberculosis (TB), thanks to robust government initiatives including the National TB Elimination Program and 100-Day TB Elimination Campaign. The incidences of TB have dropped significantly from 237 per lakh population in 2015 to 195 per lakh in 2023. Similarly, TB-related deaths have decreased from 28 per lakh to 22 per lakh. These achievements are remarkable, considering the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected both patient access to care and an already burdened healthcare system. Despite this progress, a rise in TB has been reported in 2024 with 26.07 lakh cases. This underscores the need for identifying at-risk patients, improving access to diagnostic services, and ensuring better treatment outcomes, especially for vulnerable groups.
Need for timely diagnosis
