India’s Battle to Eliminate Tuberculosis | 05 Dec 2025

Why in News? 

Union Health Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda convened a key meeting with Members of Parliament from Maharashtra as part of the initiative “Parliamentarians Championing a TB Mukt Bharat”, to accelerate efforts toward eliminating tuberculosis.  

• Parliamentarians pledged enhanced community action, monitoring, and support to fast-track India’s mission of a TB-free Bharat. 

Key Points 

• About Tuberculosis (TB): It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, spreads through the air and is strongly linked to undernutrition, which weakens immunity and heightens the risk of active disease. 
• National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme and The National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP): It is India's comprehensive strategy to eradicate tuberculosis by 2025.  
  • It operates under four pillars: Detect, Treat, Prevent, and Build, focusing on early diagnosis, prompt treatment with quality assured drugs, preventive measures, and strengthening the healthcare system. 
• TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: Achieving TB elimination requires active community involvement beyond government measures.  
  • To strengthen this, the PM TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan encourages individuals and organisations called Nikshay Mitras—to adopt and support TB patients with nutrition, investigations, and livelihood assistance. 
• Progress in TB Elimination in India: India's TB incidence fell by 21%, nearly double the global decline, with significant improvements in treatment coverage and mortality rates. 
  • Also, Treatment success rate under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan increases to 90%, ahead of global treatment success rate of 88% 
  • The WHO Global TB Report 2025 also acknowledged India’s leadership.