Tamil Nadu certifies 2,390 gram panchayats as tuberculosis-free for 2025

Key facts

• A total of 2,390 gram panchayats in Tamil Nadu were declared tuberculosis-free for 2025 after verification under the national framework.
• Criteria for the TB-free declaration included examining 30 or more presumptive TB persons per 1,000 population through NAAT and/or microscopy, a TB notification rate of one or fewer per 1,000 population, and a treatment success rate of 90% or more among notified drug-sensitive TB patients.
• Tamil Nadu's estimated TB incidence declined from 192 per lakh population in 2015 to 171 per lakh in 2024, while 65,259 TB patients were notified during January–September 2026.
• The JOSH Team (Joint Squad for Health), launched nationally by the Union Health Ministry with the Youth Affairs and Sports and Defence Ministries, is being introduced at block level in Tamil Nadu, with Thoothukudi, Tiruchi, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri and Theni selected for phase-I implementation.
• Each JOSH Team is led by a designated Class-I Nodal Officer with five 'MY Bharat' volunteers and five NCC cadets, supporting TB awareness, screening mobilisation, patient referral, and distribution of Ni-kshay Mitra nutritional kits.