India witnessed 16 per cent increase in the number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in 2018 against the previous years figure of 18 lakh even though around 8 lakh patients went undetected, according to an official report released on Wednesday.

According to the India TB Report 2019, India accounts for a quarter of the Global TB burden, with an estimated 27 lakh new cases in the year 2018. Of that, 21.5 lakh cases were notified to the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), compared to 18 lakh in 2017 -- an increase of 16 per cent in one year. Additionally, among the notified, treatment was initiated for about 19.1 lakh cases (90%), across both public and private sectors… (ET Healthworld – PTI, September 26, 2019)