The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) provides free diagnostic and treatment services to all tuberculosis (TB) patients registered under it. Equitable access, implying a preference for the most hard-to-reach groups particularly for tribal areas, is a major concern for RNTCP. This study was conducted to assess the performance of RNTCP in terms of case detection and cure rates in areas dominated by tribal groups in India.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health problem globally and its control is a daunting challenge in low-income country settings such as India. Our country contributes 20% of the global burden of new TB cases. TB in children remains