SRINAGAR: The government has said that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 12,554 notified tuberculosis cases between January and October 2025, slightly higher than the 12,200 cases reported during the whole of 2024, reflecting improved detection under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan rather than a surge in disease incidence.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said India has made substantial progress in identifying previously undetected TB cases, a long-standing concern in the country’s disease control efforts. Citing the World Health Organization’s Global TB Report 2025, the minister said the national TB incidence rate declined by 21 per cent, from 237 cases per lakh population in 2015 to 187 per lakh population in 2024.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the rise in notifications in 2025 compared to 2024 was attributed to intensified screening and reporting mechanisms. Ladakh, which is reported separately, recorded 246 TB cases from January to October 2025, down from 293 cases in 2024.
The government has said that improved treatment coverage has been central to reducing the pool of “missing” TB cases. Nationally, treatment coverage increased from 53 per cent in 2015 to 92 per cent in 2024, alongside a sharp rise in case notifications from 16.07 lakh to 26.18 lakh over the same period. According to the ministry, this reflects more effective identification of asymptomatic and undiagnosed patients.
Under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Jammu and Kashmir is covered by strategies focused on early detection and decentralised care. These include chest X-ray screening of vulnerable populations, upfront Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for all presumptive TB cases, and the provision of free diagnostics and medicines. The government has said that TB services have been pushed down to the level of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs to ensure easier access, particularly in rural and remote areas.
The minister said the programme also emphasises nutrition support, preventive treatment for eligible contacts of TB patients, and differentiated care for high-risk cases. Private healthcare providers are being incentivised to notify TB cases and report treatment outcomes, while all notified patients are tracked through the Ni-kshay digital portal.
The government has said that state- and district-specific action plans, combined with intensified awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage early health-seeking behaviour, are key to eliminating TB from the country. In regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, where terrain and access pose additional challenges, officials said strengthened surveillance and early diagnosis remain central to preventing further transmission.
