By Bunmi Yekini
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an urgent call for increased investment in tuberculosis (TB) care, warning that funding cuts threaten decades of progress against the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
“The huge gains the world has made against TB over the past 20 years are now at risk,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “But we cannot give up on the commitments made at the UN General Assembly just 18 months ago to accelerate efforts to end TB.”
Since 2000, global efforts have saved an estimated 79 million lives. However, rising drug resistance and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe are worsening the situation for vulnerable populations.
Severe Disruptions in High-Burden Countries
WHO reports that 27 countries are facing severe breakdowns in their TB response due to funding shortages. The hardest-hit regions include Africa, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific. Key challenges include:
- Shortages of healthcare workers, undermining TB service delivery.
- Disruptions in diagnostic services, delaying detection and treatment.
- Collapsing data and surveillance systems, making disease tracking difficult.
- Failing TB drug procurement, threatening treatment continuity.
“This urgent call is timely and underscores the necessity of swift, decisive action to sustain global TB progress,” said Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health. “Investing in ending TB is not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity – every dollar spent on prevention and treatment yields an estimated $43 in economic returns.”
Funding Shortfalls Threaten TB Research
The crisis is further exacerbated by severe underfunding. In 2023, only 26% of the $22 billion needed for TB prevention and care was available. Research funding has also stalled, receiving just one-fifth of the $5 billion annual target in 2022. WHO’s TB Vaccine Accelerator Council aims to speed up vaccine development, but without urgent financial commitments, progress remains at risk.
WHO and Civil Society Demand Urgent Action
In response to the crisis, WHO and the Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis issued a joint statement calling for immediate action from governments, global health leaders, and donors. Their priorities include:
- Urgently addressing TB service disruptions.
- Securing sustainable domestic funding for TB programs.
- Protecting access to essential TB services, including drugs and diagnostics.
- Strengthening collaboration between civil society, donors, and professional groups.
- Enhancing real-time monitoring to detect disruptions early.
As part of a long-term solution, WHO is pushing for better integration of TB and lung health within primary healthcare systems. A new technical guide focuses on early TB detection, improved patient management, and addressing shared risk factors like overcrowding, malnutrition, and tobacco use.
On World TB Day 2025, WHO urges governments, donors, and communities to step up efforts to end TB. Without urgent action, millions of lives remain at risk, and global health security is in jeopardy.