Significant 38 per cent decline in TB mortality rate recorded in Tamil Nadu

A significant decline has been observed in the mortality rate due to tuberculosis (TB) in Tamil Nadu. According to a PTI report, there has been a reduction of at least 38 per cent in the TB mortality rate in the state. This success has been observed in the quarterly diagnostic cohorts between July 2024 and December 2025. This achievement has been attained under a special state government programme 'Tamil Nadu Kaasonai Erappilla Thittam' (TNKET), whose primary objective is to make the state TB-death free.

This study was jointly conducted by the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and the Tamil Nadu State TB Cell. The monitoring and evaluation framework of this programme has been published as a practice paper in 'BMJ Global Health' on Saturday, 7 November. According to researchers, this initiative is India's first state-wide and state-specific TB care programme. The programme was implemented from April 2022 to December 2025 and included all adults aged 15 years or older who were diagnosed with drug-sensitive TB in the state's public health facilities. It is noteworthy that approximately 60,000 adults are diagnosed with drug-sensitive TB in Tamil Nadu every year.

Under the TNKET programme, patients are assessed at the time of diagnosis based on five clinical parameters. These include Body Mass Index (BMI), pedal oedema (swelling in the feet and knees), respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and the ability to stand without support. Patients identified as critically ill, including those with severe malnutrition, respiratory insufficiency, or poor physical capacity, are given priority for hospitalisation and inpatient care.

The paper by ICMR-NIE and the Tamil Nadu State TB Cell presents a framework to evaluate the performance of the programme. This framework covers initial preparations, patient care processes, hospitalisation outputs, quality of triaging, and the final outcome of the TB mortality rate. The study found that it took two years to reduce losses in the patient care process and to improve the quality of triaging and inpatient care. Due to these improvements, a continuous decline in the TB mortality rate has been observed in all quarterly diagnostic cohorts starting from July 2024.

According to the BMJ Global Health author guidelines, such practice papers provide authors an opportunity to describe experiences gained at the community or national level. This information can serve as a guide for other Indian states and countries with a high TB burden, enabling them to implement different TB care methodologies to reduce TB deaths. The success of this programme demonstrates that lives of critical patients can be saved through timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Historically, this disease has been a leading cause of death worldwide. Various programmes are being run at the national level by the Government of India and different state governments for TB elimination, aiming to prevent the spread of the disease and provide free diagnosis and treatment to patients.