The WHO warns that disruptions to tuberculosis services could fuel rising cases and drug-resistant strains worldwide.
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On World Tuberculosis Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling out a looming health crisis: tuberculosis is making a dangerous comeback. Despite being a disease we know how to prevent and cure, TB still claims over a million lives each year—and now, funding cuts could make things worse.
In the last two decades, the global fight against TB has saved an estimated 79 million lives. But with health budgets tightening and conflicts spreading across parts of Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, the WHO says the situation is heading in the wrong direction.
Why the world risks losing decades of progress against Tuberculosis
Speaking on Sunday, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that severe disruptions to TB services are already happening in countries most burdened by the disease. “We cannot give up now,” he said. “Countries made clear promises at the UN General Assembly just 18 months ago to step up efforts to end TB. We must stick to that commitment.”
This year’s campaign slogan, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” calls on global leaders to step up and protect the progress made.
Tuberculosis services collapse as funding crisis deepens
The WHO reports that 27 countries are now seeing serious disruptions in their TB programmes. The African Region is the hardest hit, followed by parts of Asia and the Pacific. From staff shortages to broken diagnostic services and collapsing community programmes, the cracks are starting to show.
Most worrying of all, nine countries report that they’re struggling to secure vital TB medications. Without consistent supplies, treatment plans break down, fuelling the spread of drug-resistant strains.
The problem isn’t new. In 2023, the world only secured about a quarter of the $22 billion needed annually to tackle TB properly. Research is underfunded too, delaying much-needed innovations, including vaccines.
WHO and civil society demand urgent action
In a rare joint statement, the WHO and its Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis have issued a strong plea for action. They’re calling for governments and donors to stabilise funding, safeguard critical TB services, and improve monitoring systems to catch service disruptions early.
Dr Tereza Kasaeva, who leads WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health, says the stakes are high: “Without urgent intervention, we risk undoing 20 years of progress. TB kills, but it’s also preventable and treatable—every dollar spent pays back dividends in both lives saved and economic growth.”
A new approach for long-term health gains
To tackle this crisis head-on, WHO is promoting a more integrated approach, combining TB and lung health services with primary healthcare. The new guidelines aim to improve how TB is diagnosed and treated at local health centres while also addressing root causes like poverty, poor nutrition, and pollution.
On World TB Day, WHO is urging everyone—from policymakers to everyday citizens—to keep TB on the global health agenda. Without a united push, the risk of losing control over the world’s deadliest infectious disease grows by the day.
