WHO reports tuberculosis as top infectious killer amid decline in global funding

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its Global Tuberculosis Report 2024, and the findings are alarming.

Last year, TB claimed 1.25 million lives and newly diagnosed cases reached an all-time high of 8.2 million – the highest since WHO started tracking TB globally in 1995.

The surge in cases is concerning, especially considering that 10.8 million people fell ill with tuberculosis in 2023, making it the leading infectious disease killer, even surpassing COVID-19.

The report highlights the need for increased efforts to combat the disease, particularly in regions with limited access to healthcare.

“A total of 1.25 million people died from tuberculosis (TB) in 2023 (including 161,000 people with HIV).

“Worldwide, TB has probably returned to being the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, following three years in which it was replaced by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

“It was also the leading killer of people with HIV and a major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance,” WHO said.

It said the breakdown of cases showed that 55 per cent were men, 33 per cent women, and 12 per cent children and young adolescents.

“India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan account for 56 per cent of the global TB burden,” the global health body said.

WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus expressed outrage that tuberculosis continues to kill and sicken millions despite available prevention tools.

He said the challenges include significant underfunding, with global funding decreasing to $5.7 billion (26 per cent of target), and multidrug-resistant TB remains a public health crisis. Low- and middle-income countries face funding shortages.

WHO urges countries to expand tool usage and end TB, calling for sustained financial investment in disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment efforts.