Tuberculosis in India: Overview, Challenges, and Way Forward in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of India’s most pressing and challenging problems. Globally, India remains the highest TB burden country, infecting people of all age groups, mainly affecting the younger population. The bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis is highly infectious and spreads through droplet infection. Millions of people die due to TB annually, and India alone accounts for a significant portion of these fatalities. TB is a major barrier to social and economic development, and each day hundreds of workdays are lost because of the illness. TB mortality over the years has reduced, and India currently has revised its mission under the new program, that is, National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP). The NTEP has a goal to end TB by 2025 under an ambitious “Detect-Treat-Prevent-Build” model. Tackling TB during the COVID-19 pandemic became more challenging, and the global community was compelled to rethink its operation and implementation. The present article recommends the feasibility and scope of telemedicine and the integration of social development approaches in policy planning to ensure social and health equity.