Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has reported significant gains in tuberculosis (TB) control under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), screening 11,90,865 residents in slum areas and diagnosing 11,452 TB patients in 2025.
According to KMC officials, the data reflects an intensified surveillance and treatment push across vulnerable pockets of the city.
According to data by KMC, as part of active case finding initiatives, 1,189 sputum NAAT tests were conducted, leading to the detection of 79 TB patients.
Overall, 11,452 patients were diagnosed and provided treatment in the 2025-26 fiscal year, including 4,494 cases notified from the private sector, indicating sustained engagement with private healthcare providers. The figures show 469 drug-resistant (DR) TB patients were diagnosed and treated, of whom 29 were from private facilities.
To strengthen diagnostic capacity, KMC is operating 11 CBNAAT laboratories and 19 TrueNAAT laboratories, offering need-based 24-hour services and catering to private patients as well, thereby expanding access to rapid molecular testing.
Testing volumes remained high throughout the year. A total of 38,769 CBNAAT tests were conducted, identifying 4,143 drug-sensitive (DS) and 387 DR cases. Additionally, 19,271 TrueNAAT tests detected 1,445 DS and 82 DR cases. The civic body has also rolled out CyTB, the latest diagnostic modality for TB infection, across Kolkata to enhance early detection.
To reduce transmission at the community level, 2,700 Airborne Infection Control Kits — each containing five reusable masks, one litre phenyl and two quality spittoons — were distributed among TB patients. Preventive therapy was extended to more than 4,000 close contacts of microbiologically confirmed TB patients to break the
chain of infection.
Financial assistance formed a key pillar of the programme. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) amounting to Rs 1,81,96,000 was disbursed to TB patients. Additionally, Rs 6,15,000 was provided as incentives to private practitioners and hospitals to strengthen TB notification and reporting compliance.
Awareness and outreach efforts included 18 seminars in medical colleges and private hospitals, 71 ACSM activities such as street plays and magic shows, and 212 community-level meetings across Kolkata, underscoring a sustained, multi-layered drive towards
TB elimination.