Tuberculosis kills 1.23 million people last year, WHO says

Tuberculosis claimed the lives of 1.23 million people in 2024, marking a 3 percent decrease in fatalities from the previous year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In its latest annual report, the UN health agency also indicated that the overall incidence of the disease saw a reduction of nearly 2 percent compared to 2023. This represents the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began that both TB cases and deaths have shown a decline.

Despite these positive trends, the WHO highlighted concerns that recent progress in combating tuberculosis is jeopardized by a significant shortfall in funding. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that this lack of aid could potentially "reverse the hard-won gains" achieved in the fight against the disease. In 2024, available funds for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment amounted to $5.9 billion, which falls far short of the $22 billion annual target set for 2027.

While a record 8.3 million individuals received TB treatment after new diagnoses in 2024, and treatment success rates improved from 68 percent to 71 percent, the global health community faces substantial challenges. Tedros described the fact that TB continues to cause over a million deaths annually, despite being preventable and curable, as "simply unconscionable." Although TB deaths have decreased by 29 percent since 2015, the WHO's ambitious targets for reduction by 2025 and 2030 remain distant.

The potential for an increase in TB deaths in the coming years was also emphasized by Tereza Kasaeva, director of WHO’s division for tuberculosis, HIV, and related infections. She cautioned that sustained cuts to international donor funding could lead to an additional 2 million deaths and 10 million new TB cases between 2025 and 2035. These financial concerns are exacerbated by recent geopolitical developments, including a significant withdrawal of funding that has impacted the WHO's operational capacity and global health initiatives.