The WHO Global TB report 2022 indicates over 40% of global TB cases were undiagnosed in 2021.
India, Indonesia, and the Philippines saw a 67% drop in diagnosed TB cases in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
India's TB diagnosis gap existed before the pandemic, with the National TB prevalence survey showing 64% not tested.
Sputum smear microscopy, with limited sensitivity, missed many TB cases; WHO guidelines recommended molecular tests.
India had been slow in adopting molecular tests, despite their accuracy and ability to detect rifampicin resistance.
India's reliance on smear microscopy continued even as molecular tests were scaled up from 2014 to 2022.
The National Strategic Plan aimed to reduce smear microscopy and increase molecular tests, but the trend was opposite.
India's TB report 2023 shows smear microscopy was still used in 77% of cases, while molecular tests were used in 23%.
The absence of cough symptoms complicates early TB diagnosis; chest X-rays are crucial for detection.
The RNTCP was renamed NTEP in 2020, emphasizing India's goal to eliminate TB by 2025, ahead of SDG targets.
The passage questions India's reliance on smear microscopy for achieving its ambitious TB elimination goal.
COMMENTS