The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that tuberculosis (TB) caused 1.23 million deaths last year, remaining the deadliest infectious disease worldwide. The organization emphasized that recent improvements are "fragile."
According to WHO's annual report, TB-related deaths fell by 3% and case numbers by about 2% compared to 2023. Nevertheless, 10.7 million people contracted TB in 2024, including 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children.
TB, a bacterial disease most commonly affecting the lungs, spreads through the air via coughing, sneezing, or saliva. WHO noted that TB cases had increased due to disrupted services during the COVID-19 pandemic but that a decline has now been seen for the first time in several years.
Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO's Department of Infectious Diseases, said:
"The gains made after the pandemic are fragile. Political commitment, sustainable financing, and global solidarity can help us end this ancient disease."
Only $5.9 billion was spent globally last year on TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, far below the $22 billion annual target set for 2027.
Two-thirds of TB cases worldwide occurred in eight countries: India (25%), Indonesia (10%), the Philippines (6.8%), China (6.5%), Pakistan (6.3%), Nigeria (4.8%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (3.9%), and Bangladesh (3.6%).
Key risk factors include malnutrition, HIV infection, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol use. TB is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, with 150,000 such deaths reported last year.
In 2024, 8.3 million people were diagnosed with TB and gained access to treatment—the highest number ever recorded. Treatment success rates increased from 68% to 71%. WHO estimates that timely treatment since 2000 has saved 83 million lives.
Globally, 63 new diagnostic tests are under development, and 29 drugs are in clinical trials. There are 18 TB vaccine candidates being tested in humans, six of which are in Phase 3 trials.
The current BCG vaccine has been used for over a century in children, but no adult vaccine yet exists.
Peter Sands, Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, said:
"Shorter and more effective treatments, improved prevention strategies, and AI-assisted rapid diagnostics are transforming TB control, especially in resource-limited settings."
