The steady rise in TB cases and the noticeable increase in malaria in Jammu and Kashmir over the past three years should be treated as a serious public health warning rather than routine statistics. While leprosy remains largely under control, the upward trajectory of TB and the sharp spike in malaria cases underline emerging vulnerabilities in the region’s health ecosystem. TB continues to be the dominant disease burden in J&K. With over 12,000 cases reported in 2024, the Union Territory has not only failed to reverse the trend but has seen a gradual worsening despite the ongoing National TB Elimination Programme. TB is a contagious disease, and a higher caseload automatically raises the risk of community transmission. Each untreated or late-detected patient becomes a potential source of infection, making the rise particularly alarming.
Chest disease specialists and public health experts must urgently probe the reasons behind this persistence. Several contributory factors are evident. Excessive smoking, especially during long winters, weakens lung health and increases susceptibility to TB. Poor dietary habits, malnutrition, and food insecurity compromise immunity, while drug addiction further aggravates vulnerability and disrupts treatment adherence. Migration, crowded living conditions and delayed diagnosis in rural and peripheral areas may also be silently fuelling the spread. Equally concerning is the resurgence of malaria, traditionally considered limited in J&K. The jump points towards environmental and governance-related lapses. Stagnant water remains the most obvious trigger. Rapid and often poorly monitored development works have left behind potholes, construction pits and clogged drains, which become ideal rainwater-holding sites and breeding grounds for malaria mosquitoes. This directly points to the role of local bodies and municipalities, whose vigilance in sanitation, drainage maintenance and timely filling of pits is crucial.
The emerging pattern in J&K must therefore be closely observed, not normalised. Surveillance needs to be strengthened, early detection improved and uninterrupted treatment ensured, particularly in rural and high-risk populations. At the same time, root causes-ranging from lifestyle factors and addiction to urban planning failures-must be identified with scientific rigour. Unless corrective measures are employed now, the rising numbers may harden into a long-term public health crisis. TB and malaria are preventable and controllable; failure to act decisively would amount to a collective lapse in healthcare delivery and civic responsibility.
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