WHO TB report 2026: India's TB deaths fall 38% since 2015, ahead of 35% global fall
In one line: The WHO's 2026 TB report shows India's TB deaths falling faster than the world's, but new infections are not falling fast enough anywhere.
Published 13 November 2026. Written by Pratidin from the reports linked at the end; every fact checked by a separate review before publishing. How we work
The World Health Organization (WHO) released its Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 on 12 November 2026, drawing on data from 187 countries and areas. It estimates that 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2025 and 1.13 million died, a 4% fall in deaths from 2024. Global TB deaths are now 35% below 2015, which means the first milestone of the WHO End TB Strategy has been met, about five years later than planned. Incidence has fallen much less: by about 14% since 2015, according to the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, against a target of 50% by 2025. International donor funding fell 14%, from $1.1 billion to $0.94 billion, after aid cuts.
Citing the report, the Union Health Ministry said India's TB mortality fell 38% since 2015, ahead of the global 35%. The estimated TB mortality rate dropped from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 18 per lakh in 2025. Treatment success for drug-susceptible TB was 94%, and 96% of the programme's funding needs are met domestically. India still accounts for about a quarter of the world's TB cases, the highest of any country. Under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, between 7 December 2024 and 8 November 2026 over 25 crore people were screened, more than 11 crore chest X-rays were done, and 48.64 lakh TB cases were found, including 14.97 lakh people without symptoms.
The mortality estimates use the Registrar General's Sample Registration System, community verbal autopsies and data from the Ni-kshay portal. WHO says its estimate of India's TB incidence is under review: the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis carried out a national prevalence survey in 2025 and shared it with WHO, and an updated India profile will follow technical discussions. The government presents the figures as proof that active case finding works. The counterpoint is that India had set itself the goal of ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goal deadline of 2030, and that elimination needs new infections, not just deaths, to fall far faster.
Prelims facts
- The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, released on 12 November 2026, estimates 10.6 million TB cases and 1.13 million TB deaths worldwide in 2025.
- Global TB deaths are 35% below 2015, meeting the End TB Strategy's first milestone about five years late.
- Citing the report, the Health Ministry said India's TB mortality fell 38% since 2015, with the rate down from 28 to 18 per lakh people.
- India accounts for about a quarter of global TB cases; treatment success for drug-susceptible TB is 94%.
- WHO's estimate of India's TB incidence is under review after the ICMR-NIRT national prevalence survey of 2025.
Quick recall
- When was the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 released?
- 12 November 2026.
- Global TB cases and deaths in 2025, per WHO?
- About 10.6 million cases and 1.13 million deaths.
- Fall in India's TB mortality since 2015, as cited by the Health Ministry?
- 38%, against a global fall of 35%.
- India's estimated TB mortality rate, 2015 and 2025?
- 28 per lakh in 2015 and 18 per lakh in 2025.
- India's share of global TB cases?
- About a quarter (about 25%).
- Treatment success rate for drug-susceptible TB in India?
- 94%.
- Monthly nutrition support under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana?
- ₹1,000 a month during treatment.
- Why is WHO's India TB incidence estimate under review?
- ICMR-NIRT shared a 2025 national TB prevalence survey with WHO; an updated India profile will follow.
Prelims practice question
With reference to the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, consider the following statements:
1. Global TB deaths in 2025 were 35% below the 2015 level.
2. Global TB incidence fell by 50% between 2015 and 2025.
3. India accounted for about a quarter of global TB cases.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only. Statement 1 is correct: deaths are 35% below 2015, the End TB Strategy's first milestone. Statement 2 is wrong: incidence fell only about 14%, against a target of 50% by 2025. Statement 3 is correct: India has about 25% of global cases.
Use this in UPSC Mains: previous-year questions
Recurring theme: Public health systems and the fight against communicable diseases
- How to use this
Use India's TB campaign as an example of community-level intervention producing measurable health gains.
- TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan screened over 25 crore people and found 48.64 lakh cases, including 14.97 lakh asymptomatic.
- Ni-kshay Mitra community donors and ₹1,000 monthly nutrition aid support TB patients beyond clinics.
- India's TB deaths fell 38% since 2015 per the Health Ministry, ahead of the global 35%.
- How to use this
Cite the TB programme as evidence that publicly funded, State-led care can reach the grassroots at scale.
- India funds 96% of its TB programme needs domestically, and treatment success for drug-susceptible TB is 94%.
- Over 11 crore chest X-rays were done under the TB Mukt Bharat campaign between December 2024 and November 2026.
Critically examine the role of WHO in providing global health security during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
On WHO's role: its annual Global Tuberculosis Report tracks countries against the End TB Strategy milestones.
Mains practice question
India's TB deaths have fallen faster than the global average, but the country still carries about a quarter of the world's TB burden. Discuss the strategies behind this progress and the gaps that remain. (150 words)
Model answer
The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 shows India's TB mortality down 38% since 2015, ahead of the global 35%, yet India still has about 25% of the world's cases.
Strategies behind progress
- Active case finding: the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan screened over 25 crore people and found 48.64 lakh cases, 14.97 lakh of them without symptoms.
- Better diagnosis: over 11 crore chest X-rays and rapid molecular tests.
- Treatment and support: 94% treatment success for drug-susceptible TB; ₹1,000 a month nutrition aid under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana; Ni-kshay Mitra community support.
- Domestic financing: 96% of programme needs met from Indian funds.
Gaps
- Global incidence fell only about 14% since 2015, far below the 50% target; WHO's India incidence estimate is under review.
- India's goal of ending TB by 2025 was missed.
- Drug-resistant TB and undernutrition remain risks.
Conclusion
India now needs to cut new infections as sharply as it has cut deaths.
The basics
Why this matters
Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people than any other single infectious agent. India carries about a quarter of the world's TB cases, so the global fight is won or lost here. The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, released on 12 November 2026, is the yearly scorecard for that fight.
What TB is
TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It mostly attacks the lungs and spreads through the air when a person with active lung TB coughs or sneezes. Many infected people never fall ill; the risk of active disease rises with HIV, undernutrition, diabetes and tobacco use. TB is curable with a standard course of antibiotics. When bacteria resist the main drugs, it becomes Drug-resistant TB, which needs longer and costlier treatment.
The global targets
The WHO End TB Strategy set milestones measured against 2015. Its first milestone, a 35% fall in TB deaths, was due by 2020. The 2026 report says the world reached it only in 2025, about five years late. Incidence, the rate of new cases, has fallen far less: by about 14% since 2015 by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease's reckoning, against a target of 50% by 2025.
- TB deaths down 38%, as cited by the Health Ministry
- Mortality rate from about 28 to 18 per lakh people (2015 to 2025)
- 94% treatment success for drug-susceptible TB
- 96% of programme funding met from domestic sources
- TB deaths down 35%
- 10.6 million new cases and 1.13 million deaths in 2025
- Incidence down only about 14%
- International donor funding fell 14% in 2025
How India is attacking it
India's National TB Elimination Programme runs free diagnosis and treatment, digital case tracking on the Ni-kshay portal, and nutrition support of ₹1,000 a month under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana. The TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan adds mass screening drives that look for people who have TB but do not yet feel sick.
- April 2018Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana starts nutrition support for TB patients
- September 2022Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan launched, with Ni-kshay Mitra community support
- 7 December 2024First 100-day intensified campaign starts in 347 high-priority districts
- 24 March 2026Second 100-day campaign targets 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and wards
- 12 November 2026WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 released
The caveat
India's mortality estimate draws on the Sample Registration System, verbal autopsy surveys and Ni-kshay data. WHO says its estimate of India's TB incidence is under review after the ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis shared a 2025 national prevalence survey. The incidence picture may change when WHO publishes an updated India profile.
Go deeper
Why it matters for UPSC
TB links GS2 health policy, the role of international bodies like WHO, and Prelims science and schemes. India carries about a quarter of the global burden, so its numbers shape the world's.
The core idea
The WHO measures progress against the End TB Strategy, which counts from 2015. Deaths are the first target to be met, five years late. India's National TB Elimination Programme and the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan have pushed screening to people without symptoms, which finds cases earlier and cuts deaths. The rise of Drug-resistant TB is the main threat to these gains.
Numbers and dates to remember
- Report released: 12 November 2026
- World, 2025: 10.6 million cases, 1.13 million deaths
- Global deaths: down 35% since 2015
- India: deaths down 38%; rate 28 to 18 per lakh (2015 to 2025)
- India: 94% treatment success; 96% of funding domestic
- Campaign: over 25 crore screened, 48.64 lakh cases found (7 December 2024 to 8 November 2026)
Where to go next
- End TB Strategy: the global yardstick against 2015
- National TB Elimination Programme: how India runs TB care
- TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: the mass screening push
- Drug-resistant TB: the threat that could undo the gains
Go deeper: are falling deaths enough?
What the government stresses. The Health Ministry says India's 38% fall in TB deaths beats the global 35%, and links it to active case finding under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: over 11 crore chest X-rays and 48.64 lakh cases found, including 14.97 lakh people with no symptoms. Treatment success of 94% and domestic funding of 96% show the National TB Elimination Programme is not dependent on aid, at a time when international donor funding fell 14%.
The counterpoint. Deaths fall when cases are found and treated earlier; ending TB needs fewer new infections. Globally incidence has fallen only about 14% since 2015, far from the End TB Strategy target of 50% by 2025. India had set itself the goal of ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal, and missed it. WHO has put India's incidence estimate under review pending the ICMR-NIRT 2025 prevalence survey, so the true size of the problem is not yet settled.
The social side. TB is a disease of poverty. Undernutrition, crowded housing and costs of care keep it alive. That is why nutrition support of ₹1,000 a month and Ni-kshay Mitra community donors matter as much as drugs.
The risk ahead. Drug-resistant TB needs longer, costlier treatment. Shorter six-month regimens are spreading worldwide, but resistance can still undo progress if treatment is interrupted.
End TB Strategy
The global yardstick against 2015
In one line: The End TB Strategy is the WHO's plan to end the global TB epidemic, with milestones measured against 2015 levels.
What it sets
The strategy, adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2014, sets milestones for cutting TB deaths and TB incidence relative to 2015. Its first milestone was a 35% cut in deaths. It also aims for no TB-affected household to face catastrophic costs. It sits alongside Sustainable Development Goal target 3.3, which calls for ending the TB epidemic by 2030.
Why it is in the news
The Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 says global TB deaths are now 35% below 2015, so the first death milestone has been met in 2025, about five years late. Incidence has fallen only about 14% since 2015, against a target of 50% by 2025.
Where to go next
National TB Elimination Programme
How India runs TB care
In one line: The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) is India's government programme for free TB diagnosis, treatment and support.
How it works
The programme offers free testing, including chest X-rays and rapid molecular tests, and free drugs. Every patient is tracked on Ni-kshay, a digital case-management portal. The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana, started in April 2018, pays ₹1,000 a month for nutrition during treatment. The National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination 2017 to 2025 framed the work under four pillars: Detect, Treat, Prevent and Build.
Why it is in the news
The WHO report records a 94% treatment success rate for drug-susceptible TB in India, and the Health Ministry says 96% of the programme's funding needs are met from domestic sources.
Where to go next
TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
The mass screening push
In one line: The Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan is India's campaign to bring the community and mass screening into TB elimination.
Origins
Launched in September 2022, it created the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative, under which individuals, firms and groups adopt TB patients and give them food and other support.
The 100-day campaigns
The first intensified 100-day campaign began on 7 December 2024 in 347 high-priority districts across 33 States and Union Territories and later went nationwide. A second campaign from 24 March 2026 targeted 1.58 lakh high-risk villages and wards. Block and ward-level JOSH teams, supported by NCC cadets and MY Bharat volunteers, help with outreach.
Results so far
Between 7 December 2024 and 8 November 2026, over 25 crore people were screened and 48.64 lakh cases found, including 14.97 lakh without symptoms. In 2025, 67,933 panchayats were declared TB-free.
Where to go next
Drug-resistant TB
The threat that could undo the gains
In one line: Drug-resistant TB is TB caused by bacteria that no longer respond to one or more of the main anti-TB drugs.
How it arises
Resistance develops when treatment is incomplete, irregular or wrong, letting tougher bacteria survive. It can then spread from person to person. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) resists at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful first-line drugs. Rifampicin-resistant TB is treated the same way.
Why it matters now
Drug-resistant TB needs longer, costlier and more toxic treatment, so it strains both patients and health budgets. The WHO's 2026 report notes progress: six-month regimens for rifampicin-resistant TB were used for 42% of people treated in 2025, up from 3% in 2023. Rapid molecular tests, which India is scaling up, can detect resistance quickly.
Where to go next
Take the 13 November 2026 quiz: 30 Prelims-style questions with answers