"Awareness starts with you"
In every poverty stricken community, the stakes are highest for the poorest families, particularly women and girls. It is often the most vulnerable among us who have the most to lose. Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest chronic diseases in the world, with more than 10 million people dying from it every year. The burden of TB is still at an all time high in India. In 2022, according to the Global Tuberculosis Report by the World Health Organisation, around 2 million TB cases were recorded in India, making India the country with the highest number of cases in the world. Among those affected are people also living with HIV/AIDS and young children. Given the scale and seriousness of the TB crisis in India, we remain steadfast in our quest to build healthier, more resilient TB-free communities.
10 million people
worldwide develop TB every year
2 million cases
of TB are recorded in India each year
4 million people
don't receive adequate TB care
Fighting TB is more than a necessity, it is an emergency. TB is not just a medical issue; more than anything, it is a social one. Because infection is often synonymous with stigmatization and social exclusion, many people are afraid to get tested. And when they do, they often cannot speak openly about it within their communities. This has two major consequences: people infected with TB may continue to spread the disease, and poor treatment compliance can lead to multidrug-resistant TB. While the government has provided free access to diagnosis and treatment, this alone is not enough. To truly put an end to this epidemic, we must change mindsets and challenge the social stigma surrounding TB.