WHO Warns That Global Funding Cuts Threaten Tuberculosis Fight

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that cuts in global health funding are putting millions of lives at risk by threatening progress in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). The disease, which remains the world’s deadliest infectious illness, claimed 1.3 million lives in 2022 alone.

According to WHO data, international efforts have saved around 79 million lives since 2000 through TB prevention, screening, and treatment programs. However, only 26% of the $22 billion required annually for TB care was available in 2023, leading to service disruptions, particularly in high-burden regions such as Africa, South-East Asia, and the Western Pacific.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the funding shortfall could reverse decades of progress. “The huge gains made against TB over the past 20 years are now at risk,” he stated, urging governments and donors to close the funding gap.

Health experts fear that if funding is not restored, TB cases and deaths could rise, especially in low-income countries where access to treatment is already limited. The WHO has called for urgent international action to sustain TB control efforts and prevent a resurgence of the disease.