The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for urgent action to address global disruptions in tuberculosis (TB) services, warning that millions of lives are at risk due to funding cuts and rising drug resistance.
The appeal comes ahead of World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March 2025, which will be marked under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver.” WHO stressed the need for immediate investment to protect TB care and support services worldwide, as TB remains the deadliest infectious disease, claiming over 1 million lives annually and devastating families and communities.
Global efforts have saved approximately 79 million lives since 2000. However, WHO warned that sharp reductions in health funding, particularly in Africa, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific, are threatening to reverse these gains. Rising drug resistance, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe, and breakdowns in healthcare infrastructure are further compounding the crisis.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, highlighted the urgent need to uphold commitments made at the 2023 UN General Assembly to accelerate efforts to end TB. “The enormous progress made against TB over the past two decades is now at serious risk. We must act swiftly to protect TB services and ensure global health security,” Ghebreyesus said.
Severe Impact of Funding Cuts
Early WHO reports indicate that 27 high-burden countries are experiencing severe disruptions in TB care, including:
- Shortages of healthcare workers undermining service delivery.
- Disruptions in diagnostic services delaying detection and treatment.
- Failing drug procurement and supply chains jeopardizing patient care.
- Breakdowns in data and surveillance systems weakening disease management.
- Reduced community engagement affecting screening and contact tracing efforts.
In 2023, only 26% of the $22 billion required annually for TB prevention and care was secured, leaving a significant funding gap. Research into TB treatments and vaccines also remains severely underfunded, with only one-fifth of the targeted $5 billion secured in 2022.
Joint Call for Action
WHO and its Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis have issued a joint statement urging governments, health leaders, and donors to take immediate action. The statement outlines five key priorities:
- Urgently restoring TB services to match the scale of the crisis.
- Securing sustainable domestic funding for uninterrupted access to TB care.
- Protecting essential TB services through improved cross-sector collaboration.
- Strengthening national and international partnerships to tackle challenges collectively.
- Enhancing monitoring systems to detect and address disruptions early.
Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme, underscored the urgency, stating, “Investing in TB is not only a moral responsibility but an economic necessity. Every dollar spent on TB yields an estimated $43 in economic returns.”
New Guidelines to Strengthen TB Response
WHO has released new guidance aimed at integrating TB and lung health care within primary healthcare systems. The guidelines focus on prevention, early detection, and optimized management of TB and related diseases. They also promote addressing shared risk factors such as tobacco use, undernutrition, overcrowding, and environmental pollutants to improve health outcomes.
WHO called on governments, donors, and health partners to unite in protecting global TB progress and safeguarding vulnerable communities. “Without urgent action, we risk losing decades of hard-won progress, putting millions of lives at stake and jeopardizing global health security,” Ghebreyesus warned.
