2 weeks Ago
On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, observed on 24 March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an urgent call for investment to protect TB care and support services. TB remains the world's deadliest infectious disease, claiming over a million lives each year and devastating families and communities. Global efforts have saved an estimated 79 million lives since 2000, but severe funding cuts now threaten to undo this progress.
Rising drug resistance and ongoing conflicts across regions, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, are worsening the situation. Under the 2025 campaign theme Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver, WHO highlights the urgency of sustained action. "The world cannot abandon its commitments to end TB," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
Funding shortages are causing significant disruptions in high-burden countries, including shortages in health workers, diagnostics, surveillance, and drug supply chains. In 2023, only 26% of the US$22 billion needed annually for TB prevention and care was raised. WHO and its Civil Society Task Force have issued a joint statement calling for urgent, coordinated action, including securing domestic funding, safeguarding essential services, and improving monitoring systems.
WHO also launched new guidance to integrate TB and lung health into primary care, aiming for a more sustainable, comprehensive health approach. On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, observed on 24 March, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued an urgent call for investment to protect TB care and support services. TB remains the world's deadliest infectious disease, claiming over a million lives each year and devastating families and communities.
Global efforts have saved an estimated 79 million lives since 2000, but severe funding cuts now threaten to undo this progress. Rising drug resistance and ongoing conflicts across regions, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, are worsening the situation. Under the 2025 campaign theme Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver, WHO highlights the urgency of sustained action.
"The world cannot abandon its commitments to end TB," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. Funding shortages are causing significant disruptions in high-burden countries, including shortages in health workers, diagnostics, surveillance, and drug supply chains. In 2023, only 26% of the US$22 billion needed annually for TB prevention and care was raised.
WHO and its Civil Society Task Force have issued a joint statement calling for urgent, coordinated action, including securing domestic funding, safeguarding essential services, and improving monitoring systems. WHO also launched new guidance to integrate TB and lung health into primary care, aiming for a more sustainable, comprehensive health approach..
