Global TB fight is falling behind: urgent priorities to end the world’s deadliest infectious killer
Even with advances in testing and treatment, tuberculosis remains the leading infectious disease killer worldwide. The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 shows that progress toward the End TB targets and the Sustainable Development Goals is lagging, with projections suggesting these targets may not be reached until roughly the mid-point of the century. In 2024, roughly 10.7 million people developed TB and about 1.23 million died, including around 160,000 people living with HIV. Since 2015, global TB incidence has fallen by only about 12%, and deaths by around 29%—both far short of the 2025 goals of a 50% reduction in incidence and a 75% reduction in deaths. The gap between aspirational End TB targets and real-world outcomes has widened.
A commentary published in The Lancet argues that ending TB now requires a fundamental shift in how we approach innovation. It calls for a paradigm change that is structural, operational, and social—not just biomedical enhancements.
Access the full commentary here (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02433-X/fulltext?rss=yes). Free registration is required.
For additional TB updates, you can read the TB CAB Weekly Newsletter (Issue #38, 12 December 2025) at https://mailchi.mp/c7948c776213/tb-cab-weekly-newsletter-38-2025?e=9cfc8b5c3b. This newsletter is produced by the Global TB Community Advisory Board (TB CAB) with support from Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG). You can subscribe here (https://globaltbcab.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=389a28e2dadc57faaeb892fb9&id=ae7bcd30bb).
