ICMR's top tuberculosis research institute NIRT is in the process of developing and validating sputum-free tests using blood, stool, urine and saliva samples for diagnosing the disease.

Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla, calling for collective action against TB, emphasized the crucial role played by the Parliament in disseminating the message in a country full of diversity.

Around 24.04 lakh TB patients were notified in 2019, registering 14 per cent increase over the previous year while the private sector saw an increase of around 35 per cent with 6.78 lakh tuberculosis patients notified, officials said. Launching the annual report, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan commended the collective efforts of all involved in the task, and said the government was committed to eliminating tuberculosis from the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target.

Indonesia hosts 17 percent of the missing—undiagnosed and diagnosed but not reported—TB cases worldwide.

The Peruvian Claudio Espinoza Choquepura, world champion of mathematics in 2003, showed this last Monday a great improvement in his fight to overcome tuberculosis that afflicts him.