India is cutting tuberculosis deaths faster than the rest of the world. The WHO's Global TB Report 2026, released late on Thursday, says India's TB mortality has fallen 38% since 2015, Business Standard reports. The global average is 35%.
That is real progress. It is not the finish line.
Key Takeaways
- India's TB mortality is down 38% since 2015, against 35% worldwide
- Estimated deaths fell from 280 to 180 per million people between 2015 and 2025
- India still accounts for 25% of the world's TB cases, more than any country
- WHO will update India's incidence trend in early 2027
What does the report say about India?
Estimated deaths dropped from 280 per million people in 2015 to 180 per million in 2025. The Union Health Ministry also pointed to a 94% treatment success rate. "A high treatment success rate of 94 per cent demonstrates the effectiveness of India's patient-centred approach," it said.
WHO credited India for paying for 96% of its TB programme from domestic money.
What is behind the drop in TB deaths?
Mass screening. Under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, more than 250 million people were screened, the ministry says. That included over 110 million chest X-rays and 30 million molecular tests.
The drive found 4.86 million TB cases. About 1.49 million of those people had no symptoms. Catching them early means treatment starts before the disease spreads at home or at work.
The ministry also credits nutrition support through the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana and the Ni-kshay Mitra scheme.
How does the world compare?
Globally, about 1.13 million people died of TB in 2025, Health Policy Watch reports from the same WHO report. That is down from 1.74 million in 2015.
New cases are falling far more slowly. Global incidence was 129 per 100,000 people in 2025, only 14% lower than in 2015. The world is several years behind its End TB targets.
Money is the gap. Funding for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment reached $6.6 billion in 2025, about 30% of the $22 billion a year targeted for 2027. WHO's Dr Katherine Floyd said "most indicators of progress moved slowly in the right direction or were relatively stable between 2024 and 2025."
Why is the job not done?
India still carries a quarter of the world's TB burden. It is also one of four countries that together account for over half of global multidrug-resistant TB cases, though both WHO and the ministry say MDR-TB incidence is slowly falling.
And the case count itself is not settled. WHO says it will review India's profile using the ICMR-NIRT prevalence survey and district-level surveillance data. Updated incidence trends are expected in early 2027.
What this means for you
- A cough that lasts more than two weeks is worth a TB test. Ask at your nearest government health centre.
- If you are diagnosed, finish the full course your doctor prescribes, even when you feel better.
- Ask about nutrition support under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana if you are on treatment.
- Watch for WHO's early 2027 update. It will show whether new infections are falling as fast as deaths.
Fewer Indians are dying of TB. The next test is whether fewer catch it.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor about symptoms or treatment.
Cover photo: NIAID, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
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