Sri Lanka registers between 8,500 and 9,500 tuberculosis (TB) cases every year, as stated by a senior official from the National Programme for Tuberculosis Control and Chest Diseases (NPTCCD). In 2025, the country identified 8,726 TB patients, with 75% having pulmonary TB and approximately 5,500 carrying infectious bacteria that can spread the disease to others, revealed Mizaya Cader, a consultant community physician at the NPTCCD.
Nearly 45% of TB cases in Sri Lanka originate from the Western Province, with a concentration in densely populated areas within the Colombo district such as Modara, Mattakkuliya, Borella, Wanathamulla, and Grandpass. Health authorities anticipate a slight decrease of around 500 cases next year, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Tuberculosis, caused by bacteria primarily affecting the lungs, spreads through the air when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or spit. It is both preventable and curable.
About a quarter of the global population is believed to have TB bacteria, with most infected individuals not experiencing symptoms or being contagious. However, 5-10% of those infected may eventually develop TB disease. Babies and children face a higher risk of developing the disease if infected.
TB disease is typically treated with antibiotics and can be fatal if left untreated. In some regions, like Sri Lanka, the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is administered to infants or young children to prevent TB, reducing deaths and shielding them from severe forms of the disease.
