If We Act Decisively, We Can End TB
Statement by Peter Sands, Executive Director of The Global Fund, About the WHO Global Tuberculosis Report
The big message to take from this year’s Global Tuberculosis Report is that if we act decisively, we can end tuberculosis (TB). We have momentum, we have tools, and we have leadership, but we do need more money – and we also need to dismantle the human rights and gender-related barriers that prevent people accessing the services they need. Winning will take political will and sustained commitment. The Global Fund is the main source of international funding for TB in LMICs, accounting for 76% in 2023.
With COVID-19 deaths declining, TB is once again the biggest killer among infectious diseases. The oldest pandemic afflicting humanity, the pandemic of the poor, TB is a formidable adversary, but one we know how to defeat.
In a world facing increasing challenges from conflict and climate change, we cannot hesitate. TB thrives when people hide in shelters during bombings, flock to refugee camps, or flee from their land because droughts or floods make it impossible to farm. Those who are suffering, poorly nourished, or highly stressed are more vulnerable to the disease. In a world where the poorest and most marginalised communities face multiple, simultaneous crises, there is even greater urgency to rid them of the burden of TB.
For example, in Ukraine, a country which already had one of the highest TB burdens in Europe – including the drug-resistant forms – the war has dramatically exacerbated the threat. Yet the heroic work of our partners on the ground is making a massive difference. By deploying mobile healthcare units, even in conflict areas, they deliver continued screening, testing and treatment.
Despite the multiple crises, and the daunting challenges faced by many of our implementation partners, the fight against TB has unprecedented momentum. The setbacks from COVID-19 have been reversed, and many countries are recording record levels of people being diagnosed and treated. We should draw inspiration from this success and ramp up our efforts yet further. Innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI) can help accelerate our progress. Last year the Global Fund partnered with Siemens Healthineers to leverage AI to find “missing” patients more quickly and systematically. Through scaling the use of new technologies, and through creative collaborations, we can steepen our trajectory towards ending TB.
The Global Tuberculosis Report At A Glance
The fight against TB has registered great momentum in the last year. In most countries, the setbacks from COVID-19 have been reversed. As this report shows, in 2023 there was a record number of people with TB notified. Access to treatment is up for both TB and multidrug-resistant TB. Globally, TB deaths are falling once again and the rise in TB incidence (due to the pandemic) is slowing and starting to stabilize. Across many of the countries most affected by TB, we are seeing unprecedented determination to beat this terrible disease.
And yet, TB remains a major global challenge. In 2024, the disease is likely to return as the leading cause of death among infectious diseases, as COVID-19 deaths decline. TB remains one of the top 10 leading causes of all deaths globally.
Using new advancements in TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment and with significant reductions in the prices of some key tools in this fight, we must seize the momentum. We must invest more vigorously in the fight against this disease. Above all, we must tackle deep social inequities that make people more vulnerable to the disease and less able to access care. That is the surest way to end this disease as a public health threat.