Geneva: The World Health Organisation (WHO) says tuberculosis (TB) cases are on a downward trajectory for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the global health body reported that between 2023 and 2024, the global rate of people falling ill with TB declined by nearly two per cent, while deaths fell by three per cent.
‘The number of people being tested and treated is increasing, and research is advancing,’ WHO Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus stated. The latest report indicated that as of 2024, over half of the population worldwide is covered by rapid testing, a rise to 54 per cent from 48 per cent in 2023. Additionally, treatment for TB achieved a success rate of 88 per cent, the report noted.
WHO cautioned, however, that TB remains among the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, claiming over 1.2 million lives and affecting an estimated 10.7 million people in 2024. It highlighted that some regions have been more successful than others in reducing TB prevalence. Between 2015 and 2024, the WHO African Region reduced the incidence rate by 28 per cent and deaths by 46 per cent. The European Region saw a 39 per cent drop in incidence and a 49 per cent reduction in deaths.
The report revealed that in 2024, 87 per cent of the global cases of TB were concentrated in 30 countries, where social protection remains highly unequal. While progress has been made in combating the disease globally, funding gaps threaten the hard-won gains. WHO emphasized that declines in the global burden of TB and advancements in testing, treatment, social protection, and research are positive developments after years of setbacks, but cautioned that progress does not equate to victory.
The UN health agency expressed concern that global funding for TB has stagnated since 2020, with only 5.9 billion dollars available in 2024, significantly below the 22 billion dollars annual target set for 2027. It warned that these funding cuts could result in up to two million additional deaths and 10 million new cases over the next decade.