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Colombo, March 19: Each year, Sri Lanka sees between 8,500 and 9,500 new tuberculosis (TB) cases, according to a senior official from the National Programme for Tuberculosis Control and Chest Diseases (NPTCCD).

In 2025, the country identified 8,726 individuals suffering from TB. Approximately 75% of these cases were pulmonary TB, with around 5,500 individuals carrying infectious strains capable of spreading the disease, as reported by Mizaya Cader, a consultant community physician at NPTCCD.

Cader noted that nearly 45% of TB cases originate from the Western Province, particularly in densely populated regions of the Colombo district, such as Modara, Mattakkuliya, Borella, Wanathamulla, and Grandpass.

Health officials anticipate a slight reduction of about 500 cases in the upcoming year, according to reports.

TB is an infectious disease primarily affecting the lungs, transmitted through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or spits.

Fortunately, tuberculosis is both preventable and treatable.

It is estimated that around a quarter of the global population has been infected with TB bacteria. Generally, individuals with TB infection do not exhibit symptoms and are not contagious. However, about 5-10% of those infected may eventually develop symptoms and progress to TB disease, with infants and children being at a heightened risk.

Treatment for TB typically involves antibiotics, and without proper care, the disease can be fatal.

In some regions, the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is administered to infants and young children to prevent TB, significantly reducing mortality and protecting against severe forms of the disease.