Prime Highlights:
Reductions in global health aid are severely impacting efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
Nine countries are facing shortages of essential TB medications, risking incomplete treatment and drug resistance.
Key Background:
Global health aid reductions are severely hindering the battle against tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In a statement released on March 20, 2025, the WHO highlighted that cuts to international aid are having a “crippling” effect on efforts to combat TB, with many countries facing significant challenges in maintaining their anti-TB programs.
The WHO reports that over two dozen countries, particularly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific, are struggling with disruptions to TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services. Nine countries, in particular, are grappling with shortages of essential TB medications, which patients must take consistently for four to six months. Interrupting treatment could lead to drug resistance, making the bacteria more difficult to treat in the future.
This deterioration in TB control has resulted in delays in diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance, along with reduced personnel for essential anti-TB services. The loss of community-level efforts to detect infections and trace contacts further exacerbates the situation. As a consequence, the WHO warns that the progress made over the past two decades is now at risk. Since the year 2000, global efforts have saved an estimated 79 million lives. However, growing drug resistance and ongoing conflicts in regions such as Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have made TB more difficult to control.
The situation is particularly alarming given the cuts in funding from major donors, including the United States, which has been a primary supporter of anti-TB initiatives for over 20 years. These funding reductions leave a substantial gap, threatening the effectiveness of TB control programs globally.
