The National Tuberculosis (TB) Programme aims to reduce morbidity, mortality and transmission of TB until it is no longer a public health problem; and prevent development of multi-drug resistant (MDR)-TB. It will address MDR-TB to stop its transmission in the community that will become burden on financial and human resources of the National TB Programme and the country’s health system.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets, the expected outcome of this programme is reduction of TB mortality rate by 90% and TB incidence rate by 80% compared with a baseline of 2015, and elimination of catastrophic costs incurred by TB-affected families by 2030.

The National TB Programme currently implements TB diagnosis; treatment and prevention at all 330 townships; programmatic management of drug-resistant TB (PMDT); collaborative TB and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activities; accelerated case finding activities; and TB control activities involving engagement with private general practitioners, private hospitals, public hospitals, and non-governmental organizations.

Expansion of the National TB Programme will involve scaling up and decentralization of diagnostic services, preventive therapy, human resources management and services, acquisition of new diagnostic tools, sub-national planning, and multisectoral accountability framework.