Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global health challenge, causing high rates of mortality and straining public health systems. Although there has been a gradual decline in incidence over the past few decades, in 2022 globally, there were as many as 10.6 million new cases reported by the WHO, affecting 5.8 million men, 3.5 million women, and 1.3 million children. According to the World Health Organization, TB is the second leading cause of death from an infectious agent, resulting in 1.3 million deaths in 2022. This disease disproportionately affects low and middle-income countries, with India experiencing particularly high prevalence and transmission rates. One of the major challenges in TB control is the presence of multidrug-resistant strains of M. tuberculosis in most countries, including India. In the specific context of the Kashmir valley in India, there has been a critical situation with emerging cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The COVID-19 pandemic has also posed new challenges for TB detection and control efforts worldwide, including in the Kashmir Valley. The disruptions caused by the pandemic have significantly impacted TB testing and diagnosis, potentially leading to underreporting of cases and delayed treatment. This review aims to provide an overview of global TB epidemiology, including its origins, historical context, scientific milestones and to highlight the main challenges that need to be addressed post-COVID in order to eliminate the disease as a global public health problem.

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