By Gilbert Akampa Kakurugu
HEALTH
On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, observed annually on March 24, the World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded a clarion call for immediate action to safeguard global TB care and prevention services. Under the theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” the 2025 campaign aims to rally urgency, accountability, and hope in the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
TB continues to claim over a million lives each year, leaving devastating impacts on families and communities worldwide. Despite saving an estimated 79 million lives since 2000 through global efforts, the disease remains a formidable challenge. Recent drastic cuts in global health funding now threaten to reverse these gains, with consequences most acutely felt in high-burden regions, particularly in Africa, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, expressed deep concern over the potential rollback of progress, emphasizing the need to uphold commitments made at the 2023 UN General Assembly to accelerate work to end TB. “We cannot give up,” he affirmed, urging collaboration among all stakeholders.
The ongoing funding crisis has precipitated severe disruptions in TB services across 27 countries. These include shortages in human resources, collapse of diagnostic and surveillance systems, and deteriorating community engagement efforts. Moreover, nine nations have reported failing drug procurement chains, endangering treatment continuity and patient outcomes.
The funding deficit adds to a long-standing underfinancing of global TB efforts. In 2023, only 26% of the required $22 billion for TB prevention and care was available, with TB research receiving a mere 20% of its $5 billion annual target.
Joint Efforts and Call to Action
In a joint statement with the Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis, WHO outlined five critical priorities to address the crisis, including securing sustainable funding and safeguarding TB services. Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme, underscored the economic imperative of investing in TB, noting that every dollar spent yields an estimated $43 in economic returns.
New Technical Guidance Offers Hope
In response to resource constraints, WHO has introduced a new integrated strategy that unites TB and lung health care within primary healthcare systems. This approach targets prevention, early detection, and optimized patient management while addressing shared risk factors like undernutrition and environmental pollutants.
A Call to End TB
On World TB Day, WHO urges individuals, communities, and governments to unite in the fight against TB. Without concerted action, the progress of the past two decades risks being undone, endangering millions of lives and global health security.
