🗞️ Why in News The Union Health Minister launched the 100-day “TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan” campaign on World TB Day (March 24, 2026), deploying AI-based screening, nutrition support, and community-driven approaches after India missed the 2025 TB elimination target set by the National Strategic Plan.
The Editorial Argument
The Indian Express editorial argues that India’s TB programme has historically been top-down and facility-centric. While AI-based screening and Nikshay Poshan Yojana are welcome, elimination requires transforming TB control into a people’s movement — engaging communities, addressing stigma, ensuring nutrition, and decentralising treatment to the ASHA-ANM level.
India’s TB Burden
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| India’s TB incidence (2024) | ~27 lakh new cases/year |
| Global share | ~27% (India has the highest burden globally) |
| TB deaths (India, 2024) | ~3.2 lakh/year |
| MDR-TB cases | ~1.3 lakh/year (multidrug-resistant) |
| Original elimination target | 2025 (5 years ahead of SDG 3.3 target of 2030) |
| Revised target | 2030 (aligned with SDG) |
| Treatment success rate | ~85% for drug-sensitive TB; ~55% for MDR-TB |
National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP)
Formerly the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), renamed NTEP in 2020:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Umbrella body | Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare |
| Strategy | National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination 2017-2025 (now extended to 2030) |
| Key initiative | Nikshay Poshan Yojana: Rs 500/month nutritional support to every TB patient |
| Notification | Mandatory notification of all TB cases (public and private) since 2012 |
| Diagnostics | CBNAAT/TrueNAT molecular testing; AI-based chest X-ray screening |
| Treatment | DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short course); bedaquiline for MDR-TB |
| Digital platform | Nikshay portal — real-time tracking of all diagnosed TB patients |
AI in TB Screening
The 100-day campaign introduces AI-powered portable chest X-ray units:
- AI algorithms can detect TB from X-rays with ~95% sensitivity
- Portable units deployed in high-burden districts, tribal areas, and urban slums
- Reduces dependence on radiologists (India has ~1 radiologist per 100,000 population)
- Integrated with Nikshay portal for immediate case notification and treatment initiation
Why India Missed the 2025 Target
- Underdiagnosis: Estimated 5-6 lakh “missing” TB cases annually — patients who are never diagnosed or treated
- Private sector gap: ~50% of TB patients first seek care from private practitioners, many of whom do not follow standard protocols or notify cases
- Nutrition crisis: TB and malnutrition form a deadly cycle — India has 33% stunting (NFHS-5) and TB patients need 2,500-3,000 calories/day
- MDR-TB: Growing drug resistance; MDR-TB treatment takes 9-18 months (vs 6 months for drug-sensitive) with severe side effects
- Stigma: TB carries social stigma, delaying diagnosis and causing treatment dropout
- COVID-19 disruption: 2020-2021 lockdowns diverted resources, closed DOTS centres, and caused massive underreporting
The Community Model — What Works
The editorial advocates for the community-based approach that worked in Korba district, Chhattisgarh and Mehsana, Gujarat:
- ASHAs trained as TB treatment supporters (not just referral agents)
- Community sputum collection points (reducing travel to PHCs)
- Peer support groups for MDR-TB patients (addressing stigma and treatment adherence)
- Nutritional support through ICDS and midday meal convergence
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: TB incidence in India, NTEP, Nikshay portal, Nikshay Poshan Yojana, DOTS, CBNAAT, SDG 3.3, World TB Day (March 24)
Mains GS-2: Health policy — TB elimination strategy, public-private convergence, community health worker role
Mains GS-3: Science & Technology — AI in public health screening, molecular diagnostics
📌 Facts Corner — Knowledgepedia
TB in India:
- Incidence: ~27 lakh new cases/year (~27% of global burden)
- Deaths: ~3.2 lakh/year; MDR-TB: ~1.3 lakh cases/year
- “Missing” cases: ~5-6 lakh/year (undiagnosed/unreported)
- Treatment success: ~85% (drug-sensitive); ~55% (MDR-TB)
- Elimination target: 2025 (missed) → revised to 2030 (SDG 3.3)
National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP):
- Formerly: RNTCP; renamed NTEP in 2020
- Nikshay Poshan Yojana: Rs 500/month nutrition support per patient
- Nikshay portal: Digital tracking of all diagnosed TB patients
- DOTS: Directly Observed Treatment, Short course
- Diagnostics: CBNAAT, TrueNAT, AI-based chest X-ray
Key Drugs and Diagnostics:
- First-line: Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol (6-month regimen)
- MDR-TB: Bedaquiline, Delamanid, Linezolid (9-18 months)
- CBNAAT: Cartridge-Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (GeneXpert)
- TrueNAT: Made-in-India molecular test (Molbio Diagnostics, Goa)
Other Relevant Facts:
- World TB Day: March 24 (Robert Koch discovered TB bacterium, 1882)
- TB bacterium: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- BCG vaccine: Given at birth; prevents severe childhood TB but limited adult efficacy
- SDG 3.3: End TB, malaria, NTDs by 2030
- Global Fund: Major donor for India’s TB programme (~$500 million over 3 years)
Sources: Indian Express, MoHFW, WHO Global TB Report