The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concerns over severe funding cuts, particularly from the United States, warning that these reductions threaten decades of progress in the global fight against tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
In a statement on Wednesday, Tereza Kasaeva, director of the WHO Global Programme on TB and Lung Health noted that the withdrawal of financial support was already dismantling critical TB prevention, “Any disruption to TB services – whether financial, political or operational – can have devastating and often fatal consequences for millions worldwide,” she said.
According to the statement, the hardest-hit regions include Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific, where national TB programmes heavily rely on international funding.
She warned that such setbacks could result in preventable deaths and increased transmission rates.
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, had earlier, on 24 February, expressed concern over the impact of funding cuts on global health programmes targeting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and cholera.
WHO reported that over the past two decades, global TB programmes had saved more than 79 million lives, preventing approximately 3.65 million deaths in 2024 alone. A significant portion of this success, the agency noted, had been driven by US government contributions, which amounted to between $200 million and $250 million annually, representing about a quarter of total international donor funding for TB control.
The US, the largest bilateral donor to TB programmes, recently announced substantial funding cuts for 2025 through executive orders. The reductions, WHO stated, would severely impact TB response efforts in at least 18 high-burden countries, where 89 per cent of the expected US funding had been allocated for patient care.
Health experts have warned that the impact will be particularly severe in Africa, where treatment disruptions and staff layoffs could significantly increase TB transmission rates.
Early reports from affected countries indicate that financial constraints are already leading to shortages of essential TB drugs, breakdowns in supply chains, and the collapse of surveillance systems. Additionally, disruptions to TB research and programme funding pose a major challenge to the fight against the disease.
Kasaeva urged immediate action, emphasising the need for sustained and strategic funding to maintain progress against TB. She called for a collective response to protect vulnerable populations and ensure continued momentum in the battle against the disease.
“In these challenging times, WHO remains committed to supporting national governments, civil society, and global partners in securing sustained funding and implementing integrated solutions to safeguard the health and well-being of those most at risk of TB,” she concluded.
