The problem of tuberculosis in a developing country such as India must be considered in the overall social and economic context. Massive investment of money and resources to eradicate tuberculosis may interfere with other measures more important for the country's progress. But a limited investment in a suitably oriented tuberculosis programme could hasten the decline of the disease. Social planners thus face a special challenge in such countries. The problems are almost over whelming, while the resources available are extremely limited; scientists will have to formulate programmes which will ensure that these resources are utilised to give a maximal return from the investment. Thus, in considering tuberculosis as a problem of social planning in developing countries it will have to be dealt with at three different levels:

(a) Recognising the implications of factors other than a specific tuberculosis programme on the incidence of the disease; (b) devising methods that could offer the best possible returns from the available resources, both at any given point of time as well as at different time intervals; and (c) determining priority for allocating resources in a socially applicable tuberculosis programme. The National Tuberculosis Institute, Bangalore has used operational approach for formulating a nationally applicable and acceptable tuberculosis programme for India. The sequence of steps that led to the formulation of tuberculosis programme in India can as well be applied to develop a similar programme in any developing country.