Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 records a decline in new infections and deaths, while highlighting the continuing gap between current progress and international elimination targets.
An estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) worldwide in 2025, a decline of 75,000 from the previous year, while India accounted for nearly a quarter of all cases, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2026, released on Thursday.
The report said India recorded a 38% reduction in TB deaths since 2015, compared with a 35% decline globally. The country’s TB death rate fell from 28 per lakh people in 2015 to 18 per lakh in 2025. Treatment success among patients with drug-susceptible TB stood at 94%.
Globally, the TB incidence rate declined by 1.6% between 2024 and 2025, from 131 to 129 cases per one lakh people. However, the reduction remains well short of the WHO’s End TB Strategy targets of a 50% decline by 2025 and an 80% reduction by 2030, compared with 2015 levels.
India was followed by Indonesia, which accounted for 10% of global cases, the Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%) and Pakistan (6.4%). The 30 countries with a high TB burden together accounted for 88% of cases.
The WHO acknowledged India’s efforts through the National TB Elimination Programme, including expanded screening, improved surveillance and wider access to diagnostic services.
Under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, more than 28 crore vulnerable people were screened between December 2024 and March 2026, leading to the notification of over 39 lakh TB patients, including nearly 13 lakh people without symptoms.
The WHO has also issued its first recommendations on newer diagnostic approaches, including portable molecular tests, tongue-swab sampling and pooled sputum testing, to improve access and reduce testing costs.
Despite progress, TB remains the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, underscoring the need to accelerate prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
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