Tuberculosis rates fall for the first time since Covid-19 pandemic: WHO report

Global tuberculosis (TB) illness rates experienced a decline of approximately 2% from 2023 to 2024, according to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report. This positive trend follows three consecutive years of increased rates, primarily attributed to Covid-19-related disruptions in diagnosis and treatment. The report indicates that while most indicators of the disease burden are moving in a favorable direction after the pandemic-induced setbacks, progress remains insufficient to meet the ambitious 2030 targets.

The WHO adopted the End TB Strategy in 2014 and 2015, setting specific targets for 2020, 2025, 2030, and 2035 with the aim of significantly reducing tuberculosis incidence, deaths, and patient costs. In 2024, 1.23 million people died from TB, marking a 29% decrease from 2015. However, the health agency emphasized that this reduction falls short of its goals of achieving a 75% reduction by 2025 and a 90% reduction by 2030.

According to Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, director of WHO’s division for tuberculosis, HIV and related infections, a major obstacle is the stagnation of global funding for TB since 2020. Modelling studies have warned that long-term cuts to international donor funding could lead to as many as 2 million additional deaths and 10 million new TB cases between 2025 and 2035. The United States' withdrawal from the WHO in January, citing alleged mismanagement, has created a significant financial gap in the agency's budget.

Critical international aid, particularly from the US Agency for International Development, played a crucial role in averting approximately 3.65 million deaths from TB in 2024 alone, according to the WHO. The global medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres expressed concern that children will be disproportionately affected by the cuts in international aid, as they already face significant challenges in accessing TB care. The WHO noted that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria remains the largest international donor for low- and middle-income countries.