WHO flags funding gaps in prevention, treatment of TB, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The World Health Organization (WHO)'s Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 identifies significant funding shortfalls in global efforts against tuberculosis (TB).
• In 2025, 86% of TB spending originated from domestic sources, with Brazil, China, India, the Russian Federation, and South Africa contributing 65% ($3.7 billion) of the $5.63 billion from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• International donor funding for TB decreased by 14%, from $1.1 billion in 2024 to $0.94 billion in 2025.
• Funding for TB research and innovation reached $1.2 billion in 2023, falling considerably short of the $5 billion annual global target.
• The WHO South-East Asia Region recorded 3.6 million new TB cases in 2025, representing 34% of the global total, and 400,000 TB-related deaths, or 35% of the global total.

Global TB Report.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• An estimated $22 billion is required annually for TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care to achieve the global targets established at the 2023 United Nations high-level TB meeting by 2027.
• The 2023 United Nations high-level TB meeting adopted a Political Declaration on Tuberculosis, aiming to end the disease by 2030 and provide treatment to 45 million people between 2023 and 2027.
• Despite some progress, the overall decline in TB cases and deaths is slower than anticipated, with persistent gaps in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and financial resources.
• India, a prominent member of the WHO South-East Asia Region, accounts for approximately one-fourth of the global TB burden.
• India has set an ambitious national goal to eliminate TB by 2025, preceding the global target of 2030.
• The Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 provides a comprehensive assessment of the TB epidemic, drawing on data submitted by 187 countries.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tuberculosis (TB): An infectious airborne bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs, which is both preventable and curable.
• World Health Organization (WHO): A specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to international public health.
• United Nations high-level TB meeting: A global summit held in September 2023 to accelerate worldwide efforts to combat the TB epidemic.
• WHO South-East Asia Region: One of the six geographical regions of the WHO, comprising 10 member states, including India.