Tuberculosis (TB) remains the deadliest infectious disease globally, claiming an estimated 1.23 million lives in 2024, according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report. Pakistan is one of the eight countries contributing to nearly two-thirds of all global TB cases.
The WHO’s annual Global TB Report reveals that although TB deaths decreased by 3% and infections dropped by almost 2% compared to 2023, progress remains fragile. Last year, approximately 10.7 million people contracted TB worldwide, including 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children. TB, a preventable and treatable bacterial disease, primarily affects the lungs and spreads through the air when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or spit.
WHO officials highlighted that TB cases and deaths have declined for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global healthcare systems. Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, director of WHO’s Global TB Programme, emphasized that funding cuts and ongoing risks could reverse recent gains. “With strong political will and global cooperation, it is possible to end this ancient killer,” she said.
Despite progress, funding for TB prevention and treatment remains well below global targets. In 2024, only $5.9 billion was allocated, significantly short of the $22 billion annual goal set for 2027. The WHO report notes that India (25%), Indonesia (10%), the Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%), Pakistan (6.3%), Nigeria (4.8%), the Democratic Republic of Congo (3.9%), and Bangladesh (3.6%) accounted for the majority of the world’s TB cases in 2024.
Factors such as undernutrition, HIV, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol abuse continue to drive the epidemic. TB remains the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, claiming 150,000 lives in 2024.
There were also encouraging signs in the report, including the highest number of new diagnoses and treatments ever recorded, with 8.3 million people receiving treatment. The treatment success rate has improved from 68% to 71%. Since 2000, TB treatment efforts have saved an estimated 83 million lives.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the continued loss of life to a preventable disease “unacceptable,” stressing that “progress is not yet victory.” Advancements in research, including 63 diagnostic tools, 29 drugs, and 18 vaccine candidates in development, are expected to further combat TB. Six of these candidates are in late-stage clinical trials.
Peter Sands, chief of the Global Fund, highlighted how new tools, including AI-based diagnostics and shorter treatment regimens, are transforming TB detection and management, particularly in low-resource countries.
