Tuberculosis still kills more than 1.2 million people a year

According to the Ministry of Health, the most common symptoms include coughing with secretions, excessive tiredness and severe weight loss. In severe cases, it can cause complications such as destruction of lung tissue, leading to respiratory failure.

The fact that tuberculosis kills more than a million people a year, despite being preventable and curable, is simply unacceptable. WHO is working with countries to accelerate progress and reach the goal of eliminating the disease by 2030. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the entity, in a note

Some regions, however, show signs of improvement. Between 2015 and 2024, the African continent recorded a 28% reduction in incidence and a 46% reduction in deaths from tuberculosis. In Europe, the falls were 39% and 49%, respectively. During this period, more than 100 countries managed to reduce incidence rates by at least 20%, and 65 registered a drop of 35% or more in deaths related to the disease.

Global recovery, however, is still occurring slowly. Between 2023 and 2024, the global rate of new cases fell by just 2%, while deaths fell by 3%. The WHO warns of financing challenges and inequalities in access to diagnosis and treatment.

The report estimates that tuberculosis treatment has saved 83 million lives since 2000. In 2024, 8.3 million people were diagnosed and started treatment, equivalent to 78% of those who fell ill during the period. In the same year, 5.3 million high-risk individuals received preventative therapy, up from 4.7 million in 2023.

The WHO also released, for the first time, data on social protection in the 30 countries with a high burden of the disease — a strategy that seeks to mitigate the social determinants related to the condition. Coverage ranges from 3.1% in Uganda to 94% in Mongolia, and 19 countries have levels below 50%. The survey follows commitments made at a high-level UN meeting on tuberculosis, in 2023.