I ndia accounts for nearly one third of the global burden of tuberculosis. The disease is one of India's most important public health problems. Every year, nearly 20 lakh people develop tuberculosis in India, nearly one million of them highly infectious sputum - positive cases. Two such cases develop every minute. More than one in 5 to 15-year age group in the country has already become infected with the bacteria.
Tuberculosis is a major barrier to social and economic development.
The direct and indirect costs of tuberculosis to the country amount to Rs. Tuberculosis kills more women than all causes of maternal mortaltiy combined. HIV and multidrug-resistant TB threaten to make this situation even worse. Unless urgent action is taken, more than 40 lakh people in India will die of tuberculosis in the next decade. There is no time for complacency.