The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported progress in the fight against tuberculosis, with the number of new cases recorded last year declining for the first time since 2020, it reported in Geneva on Wednesday.
However, it warned that the cancellation of aid funds could reverse the trend.
According to the report, around 10.7 million people contracted tuberculosis (TB) in 2024, 1% fewer than in the previous year. The incidence rate – how many out of 100,000 people contract the disease – fell by 1.7%.
Tuberculosis remains one of the 10 leading causes of death worldwide. According to the WHO’s annual TB report, 1.23 million people died from the bacterial disease last year.
Tuberculosis mainly affects the lungs and is usually transmitted through coughing or sneezing. With treatment, most of those affected can be cured. Without treatment, almost half of those infected die, according to the WHO.
In Europe, the annual number of TB deaths has fallen by 49% since 2015, according to the report. A similar decline was recorded in Africa. “But progress is not yet victory,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The coronavirus pandemic led to setbacks in diagnosis and treatment, and the WHO warns that targets for combating the disease cannot be met in many regions. More than half of the new cases recorded in 2024 were in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, China and Pakistan.
Funding for prevention, detection and treatment has stagnated since 2020. Last year, $5.9 billion was available worldwide, far short of the $22 billion targeted for 2027.
