Tuberculosis Killed 1.23 Million People Last Year: WHO

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global health threat, claiming an estimated 1.23 million lives in 2024, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO has cautioned that recent progress in combating the disease remains fragile and could be undermined by funding cuts and other factors.

The WHO's annual global report indicates some positive trends, with TB deaths decreasing by 3% and new cases falling by nearly 2% compared to 2023. An estimated 10.7 million people were infected with TB last year, comprising 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children. TB is a preventable and curable bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs and spreads through the air.

Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections, noted that both TB infections and deaths are declining for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasized the need for sustained investment and global solidarity to maintain progress and eliminate TB, stating that funding cuts threaten to reverse these gains.

Despite the progress, funding for TB prevention and treatment has stagnated since 2020. In 2024, only $5.9 billion was available, falling significantly short of the $22 billion annual target set for 2027. The heaviest burden of TB cases is concentrated in a few countries, with eight nations accounting for two-thirds of all global cases in 2024.

Global TB Cases

Eight countries accounted for two-thirds of all global TB cases in 2024:

• India (25%)
• Indonesia (10%)
• The Philippines (6.8%)
• China (6.5%)
• Pakistan (6.3%)
• Nigeria (4.8%)
• Democratic Republic of Congo (3.9%)
• Bangladesh (3.6%)

The five leading risk factors driving the epidemic are undernutrition, HIV infection, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol use disorders. TB remains a leading cause of death among people living with HIV, with 150,000 fatalities recorded last year. In 2024, 8.3 million people were newly diagnosed and received treatment—a record high attributed to improved outreach and detection systems. Treatment success rates also increased from 68% to 71%.

Since 2000, the WHO estimates that timely TB treatment has saved 83 million lives worldwide.