India’s TB burden 1.6 times higher than estimated

Tribune News Service

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, March 24

Tuberculosis burden in India is 1.6 times higher than previously estimated, shows a comprehensive national survey conducted to assess the prevalence of disease after a gap of more than six decades. The last survey was conducted in 1955-58.

316 per one lakh PEOPLE

suffering from pulmonary TB

Highest: Delhi (534 per 1 lakh)

Lowest: Kerala (151 per 1 lakh)

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4.93 lakh died of TB in 2020,

13% higher than in 2019

64% TB-positive people never sought treatment

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Who all affected

Pulmonary TB prevalent more in elderly persons, men, malnourished persons, smokers, alcoholics and those with diabetes.

154 per 1 lakh women

472 per 1 lakh men

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The National TB Prevalence Survey 2019-21 reveals that the prevalence of microbiologically confirmed pulmonary TB in people aged 15 and above is 316 per one lakh, with the highest prevalence of 534 per one lakh in Delhi and the lowest 151 per one lakh in Kerala.

Haryana has the fourth highest prevalence rate in the country (465 per lakh) after Delhi, Rajasthan and UP.

The prevalence of all forms of TB for all ages in India was 312 per one lakh population (286 - 337) for 2021.

The Global TB report 2021 had estimated all forms of TB in India at 188 per lakh. The newly revealed prevalence of 316 per lakh is 1.6 times higher. The estimated mortality rate among all forms of TB was 37 per lakh in 2020.

In absolute numbers, 4.93 lakh TB-affected people died in 2020 — 13 per cent higher than in 2019.

The highest prevalence for all forms of TB was 747 per lakh in Delhi and the lowest was 137 in Gujarat.

The prevalence of TB infection among people aged 15 years and above stands at 31.4 per cent, making India’s share the higher — nearly 25 per cent of TB cases — in the world. A worrisome finding of the survey is that TB-affected people are wary of seeking treatment.

The majority (64 per cent) of the symptomatic population did not seek healthcare services. The reasons they cited for not taking medicine was ignoring the symptoms (68 per cent), not recognising the symptoms as TB (18 per cent), self-treatment (12 per cent) and couldn’t afford to seek care (2 per cent).

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