Over the past decade, India has cut new tuberculosis (TB) cases by 21%, almost twice the pace of the rest of the world, a testament to enduring political commitment, increased funding, and home-grown innovation in detection and care. India is now finding more TB patients than ever before. Now, with over 26 lakh cases recorded in 2025, the country is closing the long-standing gap of “missing” patients, reaching those who were always there but not diagnosed. In TB, being found is the first step to being cured.

As we acknowledge this hard-fought win, we must maintain this progress and accelerate towards global TB goals. Before we can eliminate TB (this could take decades), we must prevent all TB deaths and reduce catastrophic costs to families. Five priorities can help define the path ahead.

First, reducing TB deaths must become a central focus. It remains concerning that more than 3,00,000 people continue to die from TB each year, despite the disease being curable. A tailored and individualised approach — known as Differentiated TB Care — can help identify high-risk patients early and address their specific needs, such as comorbidities including diabetes, HIV, and malnutrition.

Timing is critical. Evidence shows that most TB patients who die do so within two months of diagnosis, with nearly half of these deaths occurring in just the first two weeks. Tamil Nadu’s TN-KET (TB Death-Free Project) demonstrates the impact of screening all TB patients with........

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