World Tuberculosis Day 2025: India's Race Against Time to End TB

Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease that has plagued humanity for centuries, remains one of the most persistent public health challenges worldwide. Every year, March 24 marks World Tuberculosis Day, a reminder of the global commitment to ending TB.

In India, where the disease continues to take a significant toll, recent advancements in technology and healthcare strategies are driving an ambitious goal, eliminating TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) deadline.

From AI-powered diagnostics to Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based testing, India's TB detection and treatment landscape is undergoing a transformation. Let's explore how these innovations are accelerating the country's fight against TB.

AI & Portable X-Ray Machines: Detecting TB Faster Than Ever

India's healthcare system is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize TB detection. Union Health Minister JP Nadda recently announced that AI-powered X-ray machines are being deployed to enhance early diagnosis. These machines, already in use in regions such as Uttar Pradesh's Siddharth Nagar, have significantly reduced diagnostic delays.

Dr Rajat Kumar Chaurasia, Chief Medical Officer of Siddharth Nagar, highlighted the impact: "With these portable X-ray machines, we conduct at least 150 tests a day. The test takes just five seconds, and the accuracy rate is around 90%."

The AI-backed system allows real-time TB screening in remote areas, removing the need for patients to visit diagnostic centers. If TB is suspected, patients are immediately referred for Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAAT), which provides a confirmed diagnosis within an hour. This rapid turnaround ensures that treatment begins without unnecessary delays, reducing transmission risks.

Additionally, Goa's health department has initiated public-private partnerships (PPP) to integrate AI-enabled X-ray screening and NAAT-based testing. The new handheld X-ray device, developed in collaboration with IIT Kanpur and ICMR, is another game-changer. Notably, it is cost-effective, making it accessible for large-scale deployment in resource-limited settings.

Next-Gen Genomic Testing: Unraveling TB at the DNA Level

Beyond AI, genomic testing is enhancing TB diagnosis and treatment. Mumbai-based startup HaystackAnalytics has introduced 'TB One,' a make-in-India solution that leverages Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to identify drug-resistant TB strains.

This all-in-one solution includes:

- A pre-sequencing kit for easy TB DNA analysis.

- The Omega TB software, which generates standardized clinical reports covering resistance to 18 anti-TB drugs, non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), and heteroresistance.

- On-demand access to 2GB of sequencing data, ensuring comprehensive insights for healthcare providers.

By adopting NGS-based TB testing, hospitals and diagnostic labs can enhance precision without massive infrastructure upgrades. This shift ensures that patients receive targeted treatment, reducing the risk of failed therapies due to undetected drug resistance.

AI in Mass Gatherings: The Maha Kumbh Mela Experience

Mass gatherings pose a significant risk for TB transmission. At the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, where millions of pilgrims converged over six weeks, AI-powered chest X-ray screening played a critical role in TB surveillance.

Qure.ai's AI-based tool, qXR, was deployed at the event's Central Hospital. This system flagged 36.22% of analyzed chest X-rays as abnormal, with 12% showing presumptive TB signs. Even when X-rays were conducted for unrelated reasons, incidental TB detection helped identify hidden cases.

This initiative directly supports India's 100-Day TB Challenge, emphasizing proactive case finding and immediate intervention.

Cough-Based TB Detection: A Future Powered by Sound Analysis

Early TB detection is expanding beyond traditional imaging. Hyderabad-based startup Salcit Technologies, in collaboration with Google, is pioneering a cough-based AI diagnostic tool.

Using Google's Health Acoustic Representations (HeAR) model, Salcit's Swaasa platform analyzes cough sounds to detect TB with high accuracy. The model, trained on 300 million audio data samples, offers a non-invasive, low-cost screening tool for community-level TB surveillance.

This AI-driven approach is particularly promising for low-resource settings, where access to X-rays or lab testing may be limited.

The Bigger Picture: India's TB Challenge & Progress

Despite these advancements, India still faces significant TB burdens:

- 480,000 TB-related deaths annually, equivalent to over 1,400 lives lost daily.

- Over a million "missing" TB cases—either undiagnosed or unreported, especially in the private healthcare sector.

However, India's National TB Elimination Program (NTEP), backed by these cutting-edge technologies, is making strides:

The WHO Global TB Report 2024 acknowledged India's improved case detection rates, attributing the success to AI, genomic testing, and rapid diagnostics.

The National TB Prevalence Survey revealed that 43% of TB cases would have been missed without AI-based X-ray screening, reinforcing the importance of technological interventions.

Sharing thoughts, Amol Deshmukh, CEO and Founder of MedRabbits Healthcare, said, “This World Tuberculosis Day, the theme ‘Yes! We Can End TB’ highlights the urgent need to strengthen efforts against one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. Despite being preventable and curable, TB continues to affect millions, with those in underserved communities often facing the greatest barriers to timely diagnosis and care.

India accounts for nearly 27% of the global TB burden, according to WHO. While progress has been made in improving diagnosis and treatment accessibility, recovery from TB requires consistent care and support. At MedRabbits Healthcare, we recognize that proper nursing care and dedicated attendants are essential in ensuring patients adhere to treatment, receive the right nutrition, and regain their strength in a supportive environment.

Community-based healthcare plays a crucial role in addressing these challenges. Home-based nursing care and trained attendants can support patients by ensuring adherence to medication, monitoring recovery, and assisting with daily needs. This not only improves health outcomes but also helps reduce the strain on healthcare facilities by enabling continued care at home.

Ending TB requires collective action, strengthening healthcare accessibility, ensuring continuous patient support, and promoting awareness. By prioritizing comprehensive care, we can move closer to a future where TB is no longer a public health threat.”

Conclusion: A Future Without TB?

With AI, genomics, and innovative screening methods, India is redefining its TB response. From portable X-rays in villages to genomic profiling in advanced labs, the country is ensuring early detection, precise treatment, and widespread screening.

While challenges remain, the collective efforts of government bodies, healthtech startups, and global collaborations signal a future where TB may no longer be a public health threat. As World Tuberculosis Day 2025 reminds us, innovation, commitment, and urgency are key to turning the vision of a TB-free India into reality.

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