Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the progress of India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme alongside Health Minister J P Nadda, underscoring key gains in case detection, treatment and prevention toward the 2025 TB-free goal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level meeting on Tuesday to track India’s drive to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). The session brought together Union Health Minister J P Nadda and senior officials to review results under the National Strategic Plan (2017–2025), built around the four pillars: Detect, Treat, Prevent and Build (DTPB).
In 2020, the government renamed the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) as NTEP to reflect its new goal of ending TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target. According to the World Health Organization’s Global TB Report, India cut its incidence rate from 237 cases per 100,000 people in 2015 to 195 in 2023, a 17.7 per cent drop. TB-related deaths also fell from 28 to 22 per 100,000 people over the same period.
The NTEP recorded its highest ever case notifications in recent years—25.5 lakh cases in 2023 and 26.07 lakh in 2024—signalling stronger surveillance and diagnostics. The programme deployed house-to-house screenings, which identified 3 lakh additional cases. It also introduced state-wise TB burden estimates through a new indigenous mathematical model.
To support patients, NTEP expanded incentives for ASHA workers, TB champions and caregivers. The government engaged colleges in TB detection and research, tracked drug sales to check under-reporting, and linked with NGOs, ministries and technical bodies to widen reach. Incentives helped ensure free treatment, transport and nutrition for those diagnosed in public facilities.
Modi reaffirmed that “active public participation” has driven momentum in recent years. He urged all stakeholders to maintain momentum so India can achieve its 2025 goal. Nadda noted that these gains depend on continued funding, private sector partnerships and community engagement.
As India pushes ahead, the meeting set out the next steps in scaling up rapid molecular tests, strengthening drug-resistance monitoring and building more specialist labs at the district level. With this roadmap, the government aims to sustain case reductions and move closer to a TB-free India.
