The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new report showing a concerning surge in tuberculosis (TB) cases, with approximately 8.2 million people diagnosed with TB in 2023 — the highest recorded since the WHO began tracking the disease in 1995. This figure marks an increase from 7.5 million in 2022, making TB the leading infectious disease killer of 2023, surpassing COVID-19.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new report showing a concerning surge in tuberculosis (TB) cases, with approximately 8.2 million people diagnosed with TB in 2023 — the highest recorded since the WHO began tracking the disease in 1995. This figure marks an increase from 7.5 million in 2022, making TB the leading infectious disease killer of 2023, surpassing COVID-19.

Despite a slight reduction in TB-related deaths — from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023 — the overall number of new TB cases rose to an estimated 10.8 million. 

The 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report underscores persistent challenges, including severe underfunding and healthcare access disparities, that continue to impede progress in fighting TB worldwide.

India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan account for over half of the global TB burden, with these five nations collectively contributing 56% of the cases. The report highlights TB’s disproportional impact on men (55% of cases), while women represent 33% and children and young adolescents 12%.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, expressed deep concern over the ongoing high burden of TB: “The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it, and treat it. WHO urges all countries to uphold their commitments to expand the use of these tools and end TB.”

Global initiatives have improved the reach of TB prevention and treatment services, helping to reduce the gap between estimated and reported cases to 2.7 million in 2023, down from pandemic-era levels of approximately 4 million. However, the report notes that multidrug-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) remains a major public health crisis, with only 44% of the estimated 400,000 people who developed MDR/RR-TB in 2023 receiving appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Although treatment success rates for MDR/RR-TB reached 68%, gaps in care continue to threaten global health outcomes.

Funding Challenges and Economic Burden on Affected Households

A key obstacle highlighted in the report is the substantial funding deficit. In 2023, only $5.7 billion of the targeted $22 billion for TB prevention and care was available — barely 26% of the global target. The United States government remains the largest donor, while the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria also plays a significant role in funding, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the current levels remain far short of the resources needed to meet demand.

TB research funding remains similarly underwhelming. Only 20% of the $5 billion target for annual research was met in 2022, limiting advancements in new TB diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines. WHO continues to spearhead efforts in TB vaccine development, with the recently launched TB Vaccine Accelerator Council leading the push for faster progress in this area.

The economic burden of TB weighs heavily on affected households, particularly in LMICs. For the first time, WHO reported that half of all TB-affected households face catastrophic healthcare costs, exceeding 20% of their annual income, just to access TB diagnosis and treatment.

The Complex Drivers of the TB Epidemic

The WHO report identifies five major risk factors fueling the spread of TB: undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking (primarily among men), and diabetes. Addressing these risk factors, coupled with broader socioeconomic determinants like poverty, requires a coordinated, cross-sectoral response. Additionally, environmental factors such as climate change, conflict, migration, and antimicrobial resistance are exacerbating the TB crisis globally.

Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme, stressed the urgency of a united global approach: “We are confronted with a multitude of formidable challenges: funding shortfalls, the catastrophic financial burden on affected households, climate change, pandemics, and drug-resistant tuberculosis. It is imperative that we unite across all sectors and stakeholders to confront these pressing issues and ramp up our efforts.”

With global milestones for reducing the TB burden still off-track, WHO calls on governments, international partners, and donors to act on commitments made during the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. Increased investment in TB research, particularly for new vaccines, will be essential to accelerating progress and achieving targets set for 2027.