2.8 million TB cases in India, but WHO notes higher funding

At 27.9 lakh, India’s TB incidence in 2016 was down marginally from the previous year’s 28.4 lakh. The number of TB-related deaths was 4.35 lakh. down 15% from 5.17 lakh.

Written by: Abantika Ghosh, Anuradha Mascarenhas

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Oct 31, 2017 07:50 AM IST

tuberculosis, TB cases in India, tuberculosis cases, WHO world health organization, TB cases, tuberculosis treatment, india news, latest news, indian express, health news

India accounted for 33% of global TB deaths among HIV-negative people, and for 26% of the combined total of TB deaths in HIV-negative and HIV-positive people.

Following a 2012 decision to mandatorily notify TB cases, India has registered a 37% jump in cases between 2013-16, shows a new global TB report released by WHO, which also takes note of the Indian government’s moves towards increased funding for TB elimination.

At 27.9 lakh, India’s TB incidence in 2016 was down marginally from the previous year’s 28.4 lakh. The number of TB-related deaths was 4.35 lakh. down 15% from 5.17 lakh.

India, however, accounted for 33% of global TB deaths among HIV-negative people, and for 26% of the combined total of TB deaths in HIV-negative and HIV-positive people. “An estimated 10.4 million people fell ill with TB in 2016… 56% were in five countries: India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Pakistan,” the report states. China, India and Indonesia alone accounted for 45% of global cases in 2016.

The report noted that TB is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause from a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS. “In 2016, there were an estimated 1.3 million TB deaths among HIV-negative people (down from 1.7 million in 2000) and an additional 374,000 deaths among HIV-positive people,” it states.

On the other hand, the TB mortality rate is falling at about 3% per year worldwide and TB incidence at about 2% per year; 16% of TB cases die from the disease. Most deaths from TB could be prevented with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

“India is still doing poorly in TB control. At this rate, unless there is serious investment by the Indian government, we will not eliminate TB by 2025,” said Prof Madhukar Pai, director, McGill Global Health Programs; and Associate Director, McGill International TB Centre.

Government health authorities, however, stressed that the findings were consistent with efforts to detect more TB cases. Dr Sunil Khaparde, deputy director general, Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told The Indian Express: “We have started intervention and early detection programmes due to which the MDR-TB cases have shown a decline from 1.2 lakh cases in 2015. The number of deaths has also come down,” Dr Khaparde said.

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About India’s increased funding, the reports states: “India stood out as a country in which the budget envelope for TB was substantially increased in 2017 (to $525 million, almost double the level of 2016), following political commitment from the Prime Minister to the goal of ending TB by 2025. The budget is fully funded, including $387 million (74%) from domestic sources (triple the amount of $124 million in 2016) and the remainder (26%) from international donor sources,” says the report.

Last February, the government released the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Elimination 2017-2025 that, while describing TB as India’s “severest health crisis, emphasised the government’s commitment to end TB in the country by 2030, five years ahead of the global target of elimination by 2035”.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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