Progress and gaps shape India's tuberculosis control strategy

Announcing a new article publication for Zoonoses journal. Tuberculosis (TB) is among the main infectious diseases responsible for global mortality worldwide. Cases in India, markedly contribute to the global TB burden.

Despite substantial progress in diagnosis and treatment, challenges such as drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), HIV co-infection, and major gaps in private sector regulation hinder effective disease control. In India, TB control efforts have evolved from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) to the current National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP), reflecting a strategic shift from disease control to elimination.

Although these initiatives have improved case detection and treatment outcomes, operational, infrastructural, and socioeconomic challenges persist. This narrative review presents an updated overview of the development of, and progress in, TB control strategies in India. Key achievements, challenges, and future directions necessary to achieve TB elimination goals in India are highlighted. In addition, global TB control programs, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB notification and treatment, are evaluated.