India Reports Record High Tuberculosis Case Notifications in 2023

New Delhi, Mar 27 - India has achieved a significant milestone in its battle against tuberculosis (TB), with a record 25.55 lakh cases notified in the past year, marking the highest number since the inception of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) in the 1960s. This achievement underscores the country's ongoing efforts to enhance TB case detection and management, as detailed in a recent government report.

The report highlights that nearly 32 percent of these notified cases originated from the private health sector, with over 8.4 lakh TB cases reported, indicating a 17 percent increase from 2022 and a substantial rise since 2017. This surge in case notifications reflects India's consistent improvement in TB case finding, with an Annualized TB case notification rate (ACNR) of 178.8 per lakh population in 2023, the highest ever recorded.

Furthermore, the Case Notification Rate (CNR) in the private sector reached an all-time high of 59.2 cases per lakh population. These figures are part of the broader national effort to combat TB, which has seen a 16 percent decline in TB incidence and an 18 percent reduction in mortality since 2015. The TB mortality rate has decreased to 23 per lakh population, compared to 28 per lakh population in 2015.

India's TB control efforts have also been recognized for achieving over 80 percent treatment coverage among the 30 high-burden countries, a significant improvement from previous years. Despite these advances, challenges remain, as evidenced by the increasing percentage of the population facing catastrophic health expenditures due to TB.

In a notable development for 2024, case notifications have surged to over 25.5 lakh, effectively narrowing the gap between estimated and reported cases—a gap that exceeded 10 lakhs in 2015 but has been reduced to less than 3 lakh by 2023. Uttar Pradesh led the states in terms of the highest number of notifications, followed by Bihar.

As part of its active case finding efforts, India screened more than 20.5 crore individuals for TB symptoms in 2023. Of those screened, approximately 21.8 lakh were examined and tested for TB, resulting in the diagnosis of 35,438 cases.

This comprehensive approach to TB detection and treatment highlights India's commitment to eliminating the disease as a public health threat. The government's report underscores the importance of continued vigilance and innovation in tackling TB, ensuring early detection and treatment initiation alongside community engagement efforts.