Tuberculosis: So much accomplished and so much more to be done

An ancient bacterial disease that has persisted for an estimated 70,000 years, tuberculosis remains a vexing health issue in modern times. 1 According to the World Health Organization (WHO) approximately one quarter of the world's population has been infected, 10.7 million people fell ill in 2024, and 1.23 million people died making tuberculosis the leading cause of mortality among all infectious diseases. 2Notably, India accounts for the largest burden of tuberculosis globally with 25% of all cases. 3