



Mint Explainer | India's AI-powered war on TB: How tech innovation helps find hidden cases and save lives faster
New Delhi: India has intensified its public health battle against tuberculosis (TB), a disease that the World Health Organization said officially reclaimed its position as the world’s leading infectious killer in 2023, surpassing covid-19. While the initial 2025 target set in the National Strategic Plan served as a catalyst for a 10-fold increase in funding to ₹6,356 crore in FY26 from ₹640 crore in 2015, India remains committed to eliminating the disease well ahead of the global 2030 deadline.To reach this goal, the government is leveraging artificial intelligence, community support, and rigorous airborne infection control.
Mint looks at the drive against TB.India accounted for 25% of 10.7 million cases globally in 2024—the highest. The government is targeting 158,000 high-risk villages and urban wards via "symptom-agnostic" screening—testing individuals and entire vulnerable communities regardless of whether they show symptoms such as cough or fever.
This is critical because of the 3.26 million cases detected since late 2024, about 1.09 million were asymptomatic patients. Identifying them through mass screening ensures they receive treatment before the infection spreads.Health ministry data indicate that India is outperforming global averages.
From 2015 to 2024, the TB incidence rate dropped by 21% to 187 per 100,000 people from 237, almost double the global rate of decline. Mortality reduced by 25% over the same period.Treatment coverage has reached 92%, while success rates have reached 90%.
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