India Achieves Major Breakthrough in TB Eradication with Genome Sequencing Milestone

New Delhi: To eliminate tuberculosis, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced the successful completion of genome sequencing for 10,000 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis at a summit organized on the occasion of World TB Day at Vigyan Bhawan. This achievement marks a crucial advancement in India’s mission to eradicate TB ahead of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2030 target.

Addressing an audience of leading medical academicians, health scientists, researchers, and senior officials, Dr. Jitendra Singh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eliminating TB five years before WHO’s global goal. He emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach involving science, governance, and mission-driven strategies to achieve this ambitious target.

The genome sequencing initiative is part of the Dare2eraD TB program (Data Driven Research to Eradicate TB), launched on March 24, 2022. A key component of this initiative is the Indian Tuberculosis Genomic Surveillance (InTGS) Consortium, spearheaded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in collaboration with major clinical institutions. The program aims to sequence over 32,000 TB isolates to identify drug resistance mutations and improve treatment outcomes.

Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the transformative potential of genome sequencing in diagnosing TB and predicting drug resistance. He noted that genomic insights can significantly enhance diagnostic accuracy and reduce the time required to determine effective treatments from weeks to mere hours or days. This advancement is expected to facilitate personalized treatment regimens, lowering the risk of treatment failure and relapse.

Reflecting on the historical challenges of TB treatment in India, Dr. Singh underscored the critical role of community engagement in the fight against the disease. “Unless we involve common people, raise their consciousness, and evoke their participation, our fight against TB will remain incomplete,” he stated.

He also acknowledged the role of genome sequencing in complementing conventional diagnostic methods like phenotypic drug-susceptibility tests and M. tuberculosis culture, which are considered the gold standard for diagnosis. With the increasing adoption of molecular methods for TB diagnosis, India is working to bridge socioeconomic disparities and scale up these innovations for broader implementation.

Dr. Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary DBT, lauded the completion of 10,000 genome sequences as a major achievement, stressing that the data will be instrumental in strengthening India’s TB surveillance and diagnostic capabilities. He emphasized the need to translate this research into practical applications that can be scaled for real-world impact.

The summit also saw participation from prominent officials, including Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, Director General CSIR; Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Director General ICMR; and Dr. M. Srinivas, Director AIIMS, who reiterated the importance of transformative innovations in bolstering India’s TB elimination strategy.

With India accounting for a significant share of the global TB burden, this milestone in genome sequencing is expected to strengthen both national and global efforts to combat the disease. The government’s sustained investment in cutting-edge research, combined with policy interventions and community participation, could position India to achieve a TB-free status well before its 2025 target.