Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission is primarily airborne, but tuberculosis disease
caused by this bacterium is in part a structural problem, requiring non-biomedical
solutions. Nutritional status, approximated by indicators such as BMI, is a widely
prevalent comorbidity and risk factor for tuberculosis disease and mortality.1,2 More
than one in five cases of tuberculosis globally are attributable to undernutrition.3
However, in many regions, such as India, the most important factor driving the tuberculosis
epidemic is undernutrition.