On March 20, 2025, ahead of World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a strong call for urgent investment to protect and maintain TB care and support services. TB remains the deadliest infectious disease worldwide, claiming over a million lives each year and devastating families and communities.
Since 2000, global efforts have saved an estimated 79 million lives, but drastic funding cuts now threaten to reverse these gains. Rising drug resistance, conflicts across various regions, and reduced global health investments are exacerbating the situation, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” this year’s World TB Day campaign emphasizes urgency, accountability, and hope. The WHO Director-General stressed that the progress achieved over two decades is now at risk due to disruptions in prevention, screening, and treatment services. However, the commitments made by world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly must be upheld, and innovative solutions must be found to counteract the funding shortfalls.
Funding Crisis Threatens TB Efforts
Reports indicate that TB responses in multiple high-burden countries are severely disrupted due to financial cuts. The greatest impact is being felt in the WHO African Region, followed by South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. Twenty-seven countries are facing significant breakdowns in their TB response, leading to dire consequences, including:
- Human resource shortages, weakening service delivery;
- Disruptions in diagnostic services, delaying disease detection and treatment;
- Collapse of data and surveillance systems, compromising disease tracking;
- Deterioration of community engagement efforts, increasing transmission risks;
- Failures in TB drug procurement and supply chains, jeopardizing treatment continuity.
The funding shortfall in 2025 worsens an already underfunded global TB response. In 2023, only 26% of the $22 billion needed annually for TB prevention and care was available. Research efforts are also suffering, with TB vaccine and treatment innovations receiving just a fraction of the required investment. WHO has been leading efforts through the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council, but without urgent financial commitments, progress remains at risk.
Coordinated Global Action Needed
To address these challenges, WHO and the Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis have released a joint statement calling for immediate, coordinated action from governments, donors, policymakers, and global health leaders. The statement outlines five key priorities:
- Urgently addressing TB service disruptions to match the scale of the crisis.
- Securing sustainable domestic funding for uninterrupted and equitable TB care.
- Safeguarding essential TB services, including diagnostics, treatment, and social protections.
- Establishing national collaboration platforms among civil society, NGOs, and donors.
- Enhancing monitoring and early warning systems to detect disruptions in real time.
The Director of WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health emphasized the need for swift action to sustain progress and prevent setbacks. Investing in TB prevention and treatment is not only a moral obligation but also an economic necessity, as every dollar spent yields substantial economic returns.
New WHO Guidance on TB and Lung Health
As part of the response to the resource crisis, WHO is promoting the integration of TB and lung health within primary healthcare. New technical guidance focuses on prevention, early detection of TB and comorbidities, optimized management, and improved patient follow-up. The approach seeks to enhance the efficiency of existing health systems while addressing shared risk factors like overcrowding, tobacco use, malnutrition, and environmental pollutants.
By tackling TB alongside other health conditions, WHO aims to strengthen global health systems and ensure sustainable progress in combating the disease. On World TB Day, the organization urges individuals, communities, and governments to take action. Without collective efforts, decades of progress could be lost, millions of lives put at risk, and global health security compromised.
