👩‍⚕️ Tuberculosis steadily declining

• Global tuberculosis cases have stabilized after pandemic increase - 10.8 million cases in 2023 compared to 10.7 million in 2022.
• Mortality continues to decline - 1.25 million deaths in 2023, down from 1.32 million in 2022.
• Treatment coverage has increased to 75 percent, but much remains to reach the target of 90 percent by 2027.

Progress in Africa and Europe leads the way

WHO's African and European regions are showing the way in the fight against tuberculosis with significant progress towards the 2025 goals. Since 2015, the African region has reduced TB cases by 24 percent and Europe by 27 percent. This represents positive development although the global target of 50 percent reduction by 2025 remains challenging.

Treatment results show promise

Medical outcomes also point in the right direction with treatment successes in several areas. For regular TB, results remain stable at 88 percent while treatment of drug-resistant TB has improved to 68 percent. Preventive treatment is steadily increasing, particularly among household contacts. 2023 marked a historic milestone as 8.2 million people were diagnosed with TB.

Funding and diagnostics crucial

Despite progress, major challenges remain. Current funding of 5.7 billion dollars falls far short of the 22 billion annual target. Access to rapid diagnostics also needs improvement as only 48 percent of patients currently receive this. Continued efforts are also needed to address social and economic factors driving the TB epidemic, as well as development of new vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.

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