Good news and bad news: The World Health Organization (WHO) is applauding India's efforts in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), but the battle is far from over.
The WHO's South-East Asia arm recently issued a statement highlighting 'encouraging gains' in India's fight against TB, specifically mentioning a narrowing of the detection gap. This is a significant step, meaning more cases are being identified and treated.
But here's where it gets controversial... the report also reveals that the TB burden varies across the South-East Asia region. The WHO's Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 was cited, and it showed that countries like Myanmar and Timor-Leste continue to grapple with high TB incidence rates, recording approximately 480-500 cases per 100,000 people. This places them among the highest-incidence settings globally.
On the other hand, countries like India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Thailand are showing incidence levels between 146 and 269 per 100,000, which is still a concern, but the progress is slow.
In terms of raw numbers, India bears the brunt with an estimated 2.71 million people affected by TB. Bangladesh follows with 384,000 cases, Myanmar with 263,000, Thailand with 104,000, and Nepal with 67,000.
The WHO statement also pointed out that TB-related mortality has shown improvement in several member states, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Thailand. This is thanks to the recovery of essential TB services after the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the overall pace of decline across the region is still insufficient to meet the '2025 End TB' milestones. The report states that in 2024, 10.7 million people developed TB, and a staggering 1.23 million died from the disease.
And this is the part most people miss... The South-East Asia Region, despite being home to less than a quarter of the global population, accounts for more than one in every three new TB cases worldwide annually. Drug-resistant TB continues to pose a serious threat, with an estimated 150,000 new cases in 2024.
Since 2015, the region has reduced TB incidence by 16%, slightly faster than the global average of 12%. However, deaths aren't falling quickly enough. The region's TB incidence rate of 201 per 100,000 people is still well above the global average of 131.
Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia, emphasized that TB continues to threaten health security and development across the region, disproportionately affecting the poorest. She stressed the importance of early detection, rapid treatment, prevention, and strong primary health care.
But here's a silver lining: Treatment coverage now exceeds 85%, and treatment success rates are among the highest globally. Preventive therapy for people living with HIV and household contacts has also expanded sharply.
Here's a critical point: Undernutrition and diabetes remain significant TB risk factors in the region, contributing to nearly 850,000 new cases each year. Almost half of all TB-affected families (44%) face catastrophic costs, and funding for TB programs has stalled, threatening the progress made.
The WHO stresses the need to protect and expand essential TB services, integrate them into primary health care, and strengthen social protection. Investing in communities, innovation, and digital tools will be key to closing the remaining gaps.
Dr. Boehme concluded that the region has shown that progress is possible through leadership, innovation, and collaboration. She added, "We have the tools to end TB. The time to act decisively is now."
What do you think? Do you believe the current efforts are enough to combat TB in the South-East Asia region? What more can be done to accelerate progress? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
