Estimates of TB Burden in India1

1000
Incidence of
TB
*Excl. HIV
1000
Mortality Due of
TB*
1000
Incidence of
MDR-TB/RR
1000
Incidence of
HIV-TB
1000
Mortality Due to
HIV-TB Co-Morbidity

TB Burden
in India

TB Challenges
in India

The Missing
Millions

TB Burden In India

The economic burden of TB on India is huge and is a great loss in
terms of lives, money and workdays.
170 Million – Workdays are lost annually in India to the disease.
~40% – Population in the country is infected with the TB bacilli.
~10% – Of the above 40% will develop TB disease during their lifetime.
13,000 Crores – The annual economic cost of TB to the Indian economy. 

TB Challenges In India
As a developing country, India faces a lot of challenges when it comes to TB diagnosis. The main contributors to this challenge may be categorized as:
  • Poor access to primary health
  • Lack of health infrastructure in rural areas
The main variables that help understand tuberculosis transmission are2:
  • Rapid unplanned urbanization
  • Overcrowding
  • Poor airborne infection control
  • Poor nutrition
  • HIV
  • Diabetes
  • Tobacco use
The main variables that help understand tuberculosis transmission are2:
  • Inadequate healthcare systems
  • Lack of access to tuberculosis treatment centers in remote, unreached areas
Missing Millions

India also has more than a million “missing” cases every year that are not notified.
A recent analysis of the cascade of TB care in India reported that of the 2.7 million cases presented to government TB diagnostic services:

  • 27% did not have access to diagnostics services.
  • 28% did not seek care in the public sector –
    These thought to account for much of the missing TB cases in India.
  • Only 45% of estimated TB cases completed the course of treatment.

References:
1. WHO TB Report 2018
2. Indian J Chest Dis Allied Sci 2006; 48: 245-247