Tamil Nadu's TB death-reduction programme records at least a 38 per cent fall in deaths

7 November 2026

A study by the ICMR National Institute of Epidemiology and the Tamil Nadu State TB Cell reports at least a 38 per cent fall in the TB death rate between July 2024 and December 2025 under the Tamil Nadu Kasanoi Erappila Thittam (TNKET). The programme, run from April 2022 to December 2025, is described as India's first statewide differentiated TB care programme. At diagnosis, adults aged 15 and above with drug-sensitive TB are checked on five clinical signs: body mass index, pedal oedema, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and ability to stand without support. Severely ill patients are sent first for hospital care. The monitoring framework was published as a practice paper in BMJ Global Health on November 7.