MoHWF India TB Report 2024

Recently, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHWF) released the India Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2024.

Key Findings

Missing Cases on the Decline

The report highlights a significant decrease in "missing cases."
These are individuals with TB who haven't been diagnosed and can unknowingly spread the infection. In 2023, the number dropped to 2.3 lakh, compared to 3.2 lakh the previous year.
This reduction is credited to the Ni-kshay portal, a government initiative that effectively tracks TB patients.

Closing Gap between Estimated and Actual Cases

Narrowing the gap between the estimated number of TB cases and the actual number diagnosed.
This is important because "missing cases" are assumed not to have received treatment, and can continue to transmit TB.

TB Burden and Mortality

Despite the positive trends, the estimated number of TB cases remains high, with 27.8 lakh cases in 2023. The number of TB-related deaths remained unchanged at 3.2 lakh.
These figures highlight the substantial TB burden in India and the need for continued efforts to reduce both incidence and mortality.

Reaching Treatment Targets

Initiating treatment for 95% of diagnosed TB patients. This signifies a well-functioning healthcare system with efficient treatment initiation processes.
More patients (58% in 2023 compared to 25% in 2015) are being tested for drug resistance, a crucial step in ensuring they receive the most effective therapies.

Recommendations

The report shows that 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.
The report suggests drug susceptibility treatment to ensure that persons with drug-resistant TB have access to medicines from the start, rather than being treated with first-line medication immediately.