Tuberculosis killed 1.23 million last year: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading infectious killer, claiming an estimated 1.23 million lives worldwide last year. The UN health organization warned that recent progress made against the disease is fragile.

In 2024, approximately 10.7 million people worldwide fell ill with TB. This included 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children. The WHO noted that deaths from TB were down three percent from 2023, and cases dropped by nearly two percent, marking the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tuberculosis, a preventable and curable disease, is caused by bacteria that primarily affects the lungs. It spreads through the air when individuals with TB cough, sneeze, or spit. The WHO estimates that timely TB treatment has saved 83 million lives since 2000.

Progress and Challenges

Tereza Kasaeva, head of the WHO department for HIV, TB, hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections, noted that funding cuts and ongoing drivers of the epidemic threaten to reverse hard-won gains. However, she emphasized that with political commitment, sustained investment, and global solidarity, the tide can be turned.

Funding for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment has stagnated since 2020. Last year, only $5.9 billion was available, significantly short of the $22 billion annual target by 2027. In 2024, 8.3 million people were newly diagnosed with TB and accessed treatment, a record high. Treatment success rates also increased, rising from 68 percent to 71 percent.

Global Impact and Risk Factors

Eight countries accounted for two-thirds of global TB cases last year, including India (25 percent), Indonesia (10 percent), the Philippines (6.8 percent), China (6.5 percent), Pakistan (6.3 percent), Nigeria (4.8 percent), the Democratic Republic of Congo (3.9 percent), and Bangladesh (3.6 percent). The five major risk factors driving the epidemic are undernutrition, HIV infection, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol use disorders.

TB is the leading cause of death for people with HIV, with 150,000 fatalities reported last year. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that declines in the global burden of TB and progress in testing, treatment, social protection, and research are welcome news. He also highlighted that the fact that TB continues to claim over a million lives each year is unconscionable, given it is preventable and curable.

Future Developments

As of August of this year, 63 diagnostic tests were in development, and 29 drugs were in clinical trials. Moreover, 18 candidate vaccines are being tested on humans, including six in Phase III, the final stage before regulatory approval. While the BCG vaccine has long been part of childhood immunization programs in many countries, no new TB vaccines have been licensed in over a century, and there are no vaccines for adults.

Peter Sands, head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, emphasized innovations such as shorter, more effective treatment regimens, improved prevention strategies, and cutting-edge diagnostics, including AI-powered tools. These tools can detect TB faster and more accurately than ever before, transforming how TB is fought, especially in resource-limited settings.