Aim of TB Eradication in India by 2025 is Undoubtedly Unrealistic

Tuberculosis continues to be a serious health concern in India. The emergence of totally drug-resistant tuberculosis (TDR-TB) has made this situation even worse. India was responsible for 36% of global TB fatalities among HIV-negative persons in 2021 and was among the four countries that accounted for most of the estimated recent increase in TB deaths globally (Global Tuberculosis Report, 2022). The Indian government said in 2020 that it will employ its National TB Elimination Program to eradicate tuberculosis from the nation by 2025.

Against this backdrop, The Indian Practitioner interviewed Dr Vijay Kumar Chennamchetty, Lead Interventional Pulmonologist & Sleep Disorder Specialist at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, to gain insights into the current scenario of TB in India and the way forward to addressing it.