Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel on Tuesday said the incidence rate of Tuberculosis (TB) in India showed a 17.7 per cent decline from 2015 to 2023.
In response to a question in Rajya Sabha on the efforts taken by the central government to make India TB free, the Minister said, “The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) is implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM). It implements a National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017-25) across the country.”
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Stating that NTEP has made significant efforts to make India TB free, she said, “The incidence rate of TB in India has shown a 17.7 per cent decline from 237 per 100,000 population in 2015 to 195 per 100,000 population in 2023.”
The Minister also informed that TB deaths reduced by 21.4 percent from 28 per lakh population in 2015 to 22 per lakh population in 2023.
Notified TB cases increased from 18.05 lakh in 2020 to 25.52 lakh in 2023, as per a data shared by the Minister.
Patel said the key efforts and interventions made under the NTEP are targeted interventions in high TB burden areas through State and District Specific Strategic plans, provision of free drugs and diagnostics to TB patients, active TB case-finding through campaigns in key vulnerable and co-morbid populations and integration of Ayushman Arogya Mandir with TB screening and treatment services.
Among others included private sector engagement with incentives for notification and management of TB cases, scale up of molecular diagnostic laboratories to sub-district levels, expansion of coverage under Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana for nutritional support to TB patients, intensified Information, Education and Communication (IEC) interventions to reduce stigma, enhance community awareness and improve health seeking behavior, she added.
