The Bhutanese Leading the way.
TB remains a concern among young adults, while respiratory and diarrhoeal illnesses account for most reported notifiable diseases
Bhutan is seeing a growing number of health cases and a rising share of patients returning for continued care. The Annual Health Bulletin 2026 recorded 2.74 million health cases in 2025, a 13.96 percent increase from 2.4 million cases in 2023.
While new cases continued to make up the larger share, old cases grew faster, increasing by 15.54 percent compared with a 12.77 percent rise in new cases.
Of the total caseload in 2025, 1.54 million were new cases and 1.2 million were old cases. Old cases accounted for 43.87 percent of the total, compared with 43.29 percent in 2023.
Hospitals accounted for 78.05 percent of the national caseload, while Primary Health Centers, Thromde Health Centers and sub-posts accounted for the remaining 21.95 percent.
Behind these numbers, however, is a changing pattern of diseases and healthcare needs. The latest data shows which illnesses are contributing most to Bhutan’s disease burden and how that burden is shifting.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis remains a significant part of Bhutan’s disease burden, with 846 cases recorded across all age groups in 2025, according to the Annual Health Bulletin 2026.
Young adults accounted for the largest share of cases. According to the report, “The 15-24 and 25-34 age groups recorded the highest caseloads, with 200 and 260 cases respectively, identifying young adults as the most affected demographic.”
The data also shows a notable difference by sex among younger patients. Overall, males accounted for 442 cases compared with 404 among females. However, among those aged 15 to 24, female cases were higher, at 154 compared with 106 male cases.
Pulmonary bacteriologically confirmed new cases made up the largest category, with 464 cases, or 54.8 percent of the total, followed by extrapulmonary new cases at 277, or 32.7 percent.
The report also recorded 52 relapse cases and 32 previously treated cases, while noting that a substantial proportion of TB cases occurred among the economically active population.
Notifiable diseases
Respiratory and diarrhoeal illnesses accounted for the overwhelming majority of notifiable diseases reported in Bhutan in 2025, with 114,415 cases recorded across all age groups, according to the Annual Health Bulletin 2026.
Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) accounted for 90,584 cases, or 79.2 percent of all notifiable diseases, while Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) accounted for another 16,180 cases, or 14.1 percent. Together, the two conditions made up more than 93 percent of all reported notifiable disease cases.
Children aged one to four and five to nine years were among the most affected groups for both ARI and AWD, while Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) recorded 1,774 cases, with the burden skewed towards people aged 50 years and above.
Other reported conditions included Acute Bloody Diarrhea with 1,493 cases, Fever with Rash with 984, Typhoid/Paratyphoid Fever with 802, Acute Jaundice Syndrome with 643, Food Borne Illness with 616, Rickettsioses with 515 and Dengue Fever with 419 cases. Suspected measles accounted for 226 cases.
At the same time, several diseases recorded no cases in 2025, including cholera, anthrax, tetanus, diphtheria, avian influenza, acute flaccid paralysis and congenital rubella syndrome.
HIV
The bulletin also recorded 56 new HIV infections in 2025, with 29 females and 27 males testing positive.
“Majority of them were age greater than 24 (51) with a 3 individual between age 15-24 years and 2 individual age less than 15 years old,” the report states.
In total, 801 people are living with HIV and 99% of them are on antiretroviral therapy treatment (ART).
Malaria and Dengue
Bhutan recorded 43 malaria cases in 2025, with all cases imported after the country reported its last indigenous case in 2021, according to the Annual Health Bulletin 2026.
Cases were concentrated in southern border districts, with Sarpang accounting for 56 percent of the total.
The country has maintained three consecutive years of zero indigenous malaria transmission and has initiated the World Health Organization’s malaria elimination validation process, with completion expected by 2026.
The figures point to a changing health burden in Bhutan, with different diseases affecting different population groups. Respiratory and diarrhoeal illnesses continue to account for the largest share of reported notifiable diseases, while tuberculosis remains a concern among young and economically active adults. HIV infections also continue to be recorded among the adult population, even as treatment coverage remains high.
At the same time, Bhutan has made significant progress against diseases such as malaria, with three consecutive years of zero indigenous transmission.
With overall health cases and inpatient admissions rising, the latest figures highlight the need for the health system to respond not only to infectious diseases but also to the growing demand for continued and hospital-based care.
