The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified thirty countries leading with the highest burden of Tuberculosis,with the inclusion of Nigeria, attributing the 88 per cent of the global TB burden in 2025 to them.
In its Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 released on 12 November, the WHO estimated that 10.6 million people developed TB in 2025, while 1.1 million died from the disease
Some of the countries highlighted by the global health agency are India, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bandgladesh and others.
Among them, India recorded the highest share at 25 per cent, followed by Indonesia with 10 per cent and the Philippines with 6.8 per cent.
China accounted for 6.5 per cent, Pakistan 6.4 per cent, Nigeria 4.9 per cent, the Democratic Republic of the Congo 3.9 per cent and Bangladesh 3.7 per cent. Together, these eight countries accounted for approximately 67 per cent of people who developed TB worldwide. The remaining 22 countries made up the rest of the 88 per cent.
Despite the high number of cases, the report showed that TB deaths had fallen by 35 per cent since 2015, while treatment had saved an estimated 86 million lives since 2000.
However, the decline in new infections has been slower than expected. The global TB incidence rate fell by 14 per cent between 2015 and 2025, missing the 50 per cent reduction target set under WHO’s End TB Strategy.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the decline in cases and deaths as encouraging, particularly as countries struggle with cuts in international health funding.
He said several governments had increased spending from their own budgets to protect the progress made against the disease.
The report showed that domestic funding for TB programmes rose by 14 per cent to US$5.6 billion between 2024 and 2025, helping to offset a similar decline in international financing.
However, gaps in diagnosis and treatment remain. Of the 10.6 million people estimated to have developed TB in 2025, only 8.4 million were diagnosed, leaving about 2.2 million undiagnosed or unreported.
The use of WHO-recommended rapid diagnostic tests also remained below target, with only 59 per cent of newly diagnosed patients receiving the tests, compared with the 100 per cent target set for 2027.
Drug-resistant TB presents another challenge. An estimated 370,000 people developed rifampicin-resistant TB in 2025, but only 42 per cent received treatment.
WHO also raised concerns about the limited funding available for TB research. Investment stood at US$1.2 billion in 2023, less than one-quarter of the US$5 billion annual target required by 2027.
The organisation called on governments and partners to increase funding, improve access to early diagnosis and treatment, and invest in new vaccines, medicines and diagnostic tools.
It stressed that stronger efforts are needed to sustain the progress already made and accelerate the global response to tuberculosis
