Tuberculosis cases are on a downward trajectory for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, but a new report reveals that funding gaps endanger hard-won gains, United Nations (UN) reported. Between 2023 and 2024, the global rate of people falling ill with TB declined by nearly two percent, while deaths fell by three percent.
“Declines in the global burden of TB, and progress in testing, treatment, social protection and research are all welcome news after years of setbacks, but progress is not victory,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“The fact that TB continues to claim over a million lives each year, despite being preventable and curable, is simply unconscionable,” Tedros added. WHO says global funding for TB has stagnated since 2020, with just $5.9 billion available in 2024—far below the $22 billion annual target for 2027. This raises concerns that cuts could cause up to two million extra deaths and 10 million cases in the next decade. As of last year, over half of the population worldwide is covered by rapid testing, 54 percent up from 48 percent in 2023. Treatment saw a success rate of 88 percent.
Some regions have been more successful than others in reducing TB. Between 2015 and 2024, the WHO African Region managed to reduce the incidence rate by 28 percent and deaths from the illness went down by 46 percent. The European Region saw a 39 percent drop in incidence and a 49 percent reduction in deaths. However, in 2024, 87 percent of the global number of people who developed TB was concentrated in 30 countries, where social protection remains highly unequal.
“The number of people being tested and treated is increasing, and research is advancing,” Dr Tedros said. The report shows that while progress has been made in the global fight against the disease, sustained investment remains crucial to prevent backsliding. Without adequate funding, the gains made in recent years could quickly erode, particularly in countries with weak health systems and limited social protection.
TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, killing more than a million people annually despite being both preventable and curable. The funding shortfall threatens efforts to meet global TB targets and could reverse progress made since the pandemic disrupted health services worldwide. The WHO report calls for urgent action to close the financing gap and ensure all countries have the resources needed to combat the disease effectively.
