Global Tuberculosis Control at Risk: Funding Cuts Raise Alarm

On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, global health experts are sounding the alarm over recent funding cuts that threaten to derail decades of progress in fighting the disease. The theme for this year, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” highlights the urgent need for sustained financial commitment to eliminate TB. However, reductions in international aid, particularly from the United States, have raised serious concerns about the future of TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention efforts, warns GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World Tuberculosis Day 2025: Funding cuts threaten global TB control efforts, says GlobalData

Go to source). TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, responsible for an estimated 1.25 million deaths in 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Historically, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been the largest bilateral donor for TB programs, providing approximately $250 million annually to support critical healthcare services, especially in high-burden regions such as Africa and South-East Asia. However, sharp reductions in aid are now disrupting essential TB programs worldwide.

Abigail Harris, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, warns:"Funding cuts of this magnitude will directly impact access to TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, leaving millions vulnerable to disease progression and death. Without urgent intervention, we risk undoing decades of progress in TB elimination."

Drug-Resistant TB on the Rise

One of the most alarming consequences of these funding cuts is the potential rise in drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB). Financial constraints are already leading to incomplete treatment regimens, increasing the risk of resistance to standard TB medications. DR-TB cases are significantly more difficult and expensive to treat, requiring prolonged and intensive drug therapies.

Harris further cautions:"If we allow funding gaps to persist, we risk facing an even deadlier TB crisis, where highly resistant strains become more prevalent. The global health community must act swiftly to ensure continued access to treatment and accelerate research into new, effective therapies."

The WHO has called for immediate measures to close the TB funding gap and meet global eradication targets. Priorities include expanding diagnostic access, improving treatment regimens and accelerating vaccine development.

While GlobalData’s pipeline products database highlights promising developments—including 15 prophylactic TB vaccines currently in clinical trials—these innovations require sustained investment to reach the market and make an impact.

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However, experts stress that these goals can only be achieved if governments, donors, and private-sector partners commit to long-term funding.

Harris concludes:"TB is a global health emergency, and without sustained investment, the disease will continue to claim lives and pose an increasing threat to public health. The time to act is now."

As World TB Day 2025 unfolds, advocates and healthcare organizations worldwide emphasize the critical need for financial support to sustain progress and bring the world closer to a TB-free future.

Reference:

1. World Tuberculosis Day 2025: Funding cuts threaten global TB control efforts, says GlobalData - (https://www.globaldata.com/media/pharma/world-tuberculosis-day-2025-funding-cuts-threaten-global-tb-control-efforts-says-globaldata)

Source-Medindia