Delhi's TB crisis hits young adults hardest
India
Delhi lost nearly 66,000 people to tuberculosis (TB) from 2005 to 2024, with the biggest impact on those aged 25-44—over 21,000 deaths in this group alone.
The next most affected were people between 45 and 64 years.
Gender gap and what's making things worse
Men made up two-thirds of TB deaths in the 25-44 age group, while women accounted for a third—especially among younger adults.
Most deaths happened in institutions, with experts pointing to issues like malnutrition, anemia (especially for women from poorer backgrounds), drug-resistant TB strains, and Delhi's air pollution making recovery even tougher.