Global TB Report 2025
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: WHO
Subject: Health
Context: The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, shows that India remains the country with the highest TB burden (25% of global cases) despite achieving a 21% reduction in incidence since 2015.
About Global TB Report 2025:
• What it is? The annual global assessment of tuberculosis trends, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment at global, regional, and national levels.
• The annual global assessment of tuberculosis trends, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment at global, regional, and national levels.
• Published by: World Health Organization (WHO).
• Aim: To track progress towards the End TB Strategy (2015–2035), which targets a 90% reduction in TB deaths and 80% reduction in incidence by 2030, and guide evidence-based national TB control policies.
Global Trends in TB:
• Global Incidence: TB incidence declined by 1.7% between 2023 and 2024, reaching 131 cases per 100,000 population, reversing pandemic-related setbacks.
• Regional Patterns: Declines continued in the African, South-East Asian, Eastern Mediterranean, and European Regions, while the Americas saw a fourth consecutive rise due to under-detection.
• Geographical Burden: South-East Asia (34%), Western Pacific (27%), and Africa (25%) accounted for the bulk of global TB cases.
• High-Burden Nations: Eight countries made up 67% of global cases — led by India (25%), Indonesia (10%), and the Philippines (6.8%).
• Drug Resistance: Global multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB remains a major threat, with modest progress in detection and treatment.
• Funding Gap: International TB financing has stagnated since 2020, and donor cuts from 2025 threaten national programs.
TB Trends in India:
• Incidence Rate: India’s TB incidence fell from 195 (2023) to 187 per 100,000 (2024) — a 21% reduction since 2015, compared to a global decline of 12%.
• Case Detection: India diagnosed 2.61 million of an estimated 2.7 million cases in 2024, sharply reducing the “missing cases” gap.
• Mortality: TB deaths dropped from 28 (2015) to 21 per 100,000 (2024), though still above the target of 3 per 100,000 by 2025.
• Drug Resistance: India accounted for 32% of global MDR-TB cases, though incidence is gradually declining.
• Policy Momentum: The government’s Ni-kshay 2.0 and TB-Mukt Bharat initiatives have improved treatment coverage (92%) and expanded upfront molecular diagnostics.
Initiatives to Reduce TB:
• Global Level:
• End TB Strategy (WHO, 2015–2035): Global framework to cut TB deaths by 90% and incidence by 80% by 2030. UN High-Level Meetings (2018, 2023): Renewed global commitments, including targets for funding, vaccine development, and universal access to TB care. Global Fund & Stop TB Partnership: Strengthen resource mobilization, surveillance, and innovation. New WHO Guidelines (2024–25): Updated guidance on diagnosis, MDR-TB treatment, and TB–diabetes comorbidity management.
• End TB Strategy (WHO, 2015–2035): Global framework to cut TB deaths by 90% and incidence by 80% by 2030.
• UN High-Level Meetings (2018, 2023): Renewed global commitments, including targets for funding, vaccine development, and universal access to TB care.
• Global Fund & Stop TB Partnership: Strengthen resource mobilization, surveillance, and innovation.
• New WHO Guidelines (2024–25): Updated guidance on diagnosis, MDR-TB treatment, and TB–diabetes comorbidity management.
• India Level:
• National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017–2025): Targets an 80% incidence reduction by 2025, ahead of global goals. Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana: Nutritional support for TB patients. Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan: Community engagement and corporate participation in patient adoption. Expanded Diagnostics: Rollout of Truenat and CBNAAT molecular tests nationwide.
• National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017–2025): Targets an 80% incidence reduction by 2025, ahead of global goals.
• Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana: Nutritional support for TB patients.
• Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan: Community engagement and corporate participation in patient adoption.
• Expanded Diagnostics: Rollout of Truenat and CBNAAT molecular tests nationwide.
Challenges to TB Reduction:
• Persistent Undernutrition: Malnutrition remains a major driver of TB vulnerability, especially among low-income groups, weakening immunity and sustaining disease transmission.
• Rising MDR-TB Burden: Multidrug-resistant TB cases continue to strain health systems due to limited access to newer, shorter, and less toxic treatment regimens.
• Funding Stagnation: Global and national TB programs face declining donor funding, threatening continuity of diagnostics, treatment, and community outreach initiatives.
• Weak Surveillance: Inadequate reporting from rural and private sectors leads to under-detection and delayed treatment, undermining national elimination goals.
• Limited Vaccine Pipeline: Despite promising candidates, no new TB vaccine has yet reached large-scale rollout, slowing prevention efforts in high-burden countries.
Recommendations:
• Accelerate Vaccine R&D: Prioritize global and domestic investment in next-generation TB vaccines, fast-tracking trials and equitable access frameworks.
• Expand Molecular Diagnostics: Scale up Truenat, CBNAAT, and LAMP-based tests for rapid, accurate detection in high-risk and remote districts.
• Ensure Sustainable Financing: Increase domestic TB funding through national health budgets and blended finance models to reduce donor dependency.
• Strengthen Nutrition & Social Support: Link TB programs with food security and welfare schemes to address poverty, malnutrition, and stigma barriers.
• Integrate Digital Surveillance: Use AI-enabled platforms and real-time data analytics for better case tracking, treatment adherence, and outcome monitoring.
Conclusion:
The WHO Global TB Report 2025 highlights that despite steady progress, TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease. India’s strong decline in incidence and mortality is commendable but insufficient to meet the 2025 elimination target. Achieving a TB-free world demands accelerated vaccine development, robust financing, and holistic health–nutrition–poverty interventions.
India has one of the highest burdens of Tuberculosis (TB) globally, and ensuring an adequate supply of quality-assured drugs is crucial for effective treatment. Examine the major impediments to ending TB in India.