The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a sobering report revealing that tuberculosis (TB) continues its devastating impact, claiming an estimated 1.23 million lives globally in 2024. This figure solidifies TB's position as the world’s leading infectious killer, despite some discernible, albeit modest, advancements in global control efforts.

According to the WHO's most recent global report, there has been a marginal three per cent reduction in TB deaths compared to 2023. Concurrently, new infections saw a decline of nearly two per cent. This marks a critical milestone, as it is the first instance of a simultaneous decrease in both death tolls and new infections since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly disrupted health services worldwide.

The global health body further detailed that approximately 10.7 million individuals contracted tuberculosis last year. This demographic breakdown includes 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children, underscoring the disease's broad reach across different populations.

However, the Director of the Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections at WHO, Tereza Kasaeva, issued a cautionary statement regarding these gains. She emphasized that despite cases and deaths showing a decline for the first time post-pandemic, the progress achieved remains highly fragile and susceptible to reversal if vigilance is not maintained.

Tuberculosis, an illness that is both preventable and curable, predominantly targets the lungs and is transmitted through airborne particles when infected individuals cough, sneeze, or spit. Its persistent spread highlights ongoing challenges in public health and access to effective interventions.

A significant barrier to accelerating progress against TB is a severe funding shortfall. The report indicated that only $5.9 billion was allocated and available globally for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in 2024. This amount falls drastically short of the ambitious $22 billion annual target that has been established for 2027.

The WHO's findings also pinpointed that eight specific countries collectively account for a staggering two-thirds of all global TB cases. This concentration of the disease in a limited number of nations underscores the critical and urgent necessity for intensified investment and the strengthening of health systems in these high-burden regions to effectively sustain and build upon the fragile progress made against tuberculosis.