Aizawl: Mizoram recorded 145 deaths due to Tuberculosis (TB) and 2,275 new diagnoses over the past year, according to data released by the State Health Department on Tuesday.
While the state saw a marginal decrease in total cases compared to the 2,291 recorded the previous year, the fatality rate has reached a six-year high.
Of the 2,275 people diagnosed last year, 1,364 were males and 911 were females, the data said.
A total of 146 people were diagnosed with multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), and 267 others were found to be suffering from both TB and HIV, it added.
Among the newly diagnosed patients, 2,134 were above 14 years of age, and 141 were below 14 years, the data said.
Aizawl district recorded the highest number of cases at 1,569, followed by Lunglei district (155), while Kolasib district, bordering Assam, reported 138 cases during the same year.
Altogether, 145 people succumbed to TB during the period, marking the highest fatality in six years since 2020.
Eighty-four per cent of the patients have been successfully cured, the data said.
Of the 2,275 new cases detected in 2025, 1,900 were identified in government facilities, while the remaining 375 cases were found in private facilities, according to officials.
They also said that while Mizoram experienced fluctuations in new TB cases over the past six years, fatalities have continuously increased since 2020.
While 31 people died of TB in 2020, the number of fatalities rose to 46 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 119 in 2023, and 136 in 2024, they added.
Officials noted that a healthy competition is currently underway to establish villages free from Tuberculosis, under the “TB-Free Village” initiative.
During 2025, as many as 150 villages across Mizoram were eligible to be declared TB-free.
Among these, 74 villages achieved TB-free status for one year, 58 villages maintained the milestone for two consecutive years, and 18 villages have remained TB-free for three consecutive years, they said.
Within Aizawl district, 19 villages are eligible to be declared TB-free, four of which have maintained this status for two years in a row, officials added.
Meanwhile, World TB Day was observed in different parts of the state on Tuesday.
In her video message on the occasion, Health Minister Lalrinpuii expressed appreciation for the emergence of several TB-free villages across the state, attributing the milestone to the collaboration between government departments, churches, and local communities.
The Minister stressed that early detection remains the most important factor in stopping the transmission of the disease.
Citing that TB is a disease that can be eradicated, Lalrinpuii said that for those suspected of having TB, getting tested and treated immediately is the most vital step in preventing further spread of the disease.