100-Day TB Elimination Campaign: Results and Shortcomings
Why in the news
An assessment of the 100-day intensified TB elimination drive argued that its claimed gains were overstated, despite some improvement in case finding.
Key facts
- Started on December 7, 2024; covered 33 States and UTs with 455 intervention districts.
- Aimed to find symptomatic and asymptomatic cases in high-risk groups using chest X-ray and molecular tests.
- Target groups: diabetics, smokers, alcoholics, people living with HIV, past TB patients, the elderly and household contacts.
- AI-assisted X-ray screening was meant to spot subclinical (asymptomatic) TB.
- Between Dec 7, 2024 and Feb 22, 2025, notifications were up by 44,585 over the same period a year earlier.
| Year | TB notifications |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 21,35,830 |
| 2022 | 24,22,121 |
| 2023 | 25,37,235 |
| 2024 | 26,18,499 |
Concerns
- Overclaiming: crediting the campaign for all 3.5 lakh cases found in intervention districts is doubtful, since notifications have been rising for years.
- Low X-ray use: just 3.8 lakh of 10 crore screened (3.8%) got an X-ray, though the National TB Prevalence Survey (2019-21) estimated 42.6% of cases could be missed without one.
- Thin infrastructure: 836 portable X-ray vans for 455 districts; AI interpretation tools are untested and not approved by HTA.
- Short duration: 100 days is too brief for lasting impact; ending TB by 2025, as envisioned by PM Narendra Modi, looks overly ambitious.
Exam angle
- Campaign start date: December 7, 2024; districts: 455.
- Survey quoted: National TB Prevalence Survey (2019-2021).
- Approval body for AI tools: Health Technology Assessment (HTA).