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India's ambitious new plan to conquer TB needs cash and commitment

The Indian government has already taken several steps over the past few years to address it

Tuberculosis, Tuberculosis in india, tb
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Tuberculosis. Photo: Reuters

Madhukar Pai | The Conversation

Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people today than HIV and malaria combined.

In 2015, there were an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide and 1.8 million TB deaths, according to the World Health Organization. And India is at the epicentre of this global epidemic, with half a million TB deaths annually. India also accounts for 16 per cent of the estimated 480,000 new cases of multi-drug-resistant TB.

Can India turn things around and control this epidemic?

The answer is a conditional yes. The Indian government has already taken several steps over the past few years to address