World marks Tuberculosis Day with calls for urgent action

Dar es Salaam. 24 March is observed annually as World Tuberculosis Day to highlight the urgent need to eliminate tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease.

This year’s theme, “Yes, We Can End TB – Commit, Invest, Deliver”, underscores the World Health Organization’s (WHO) renewed call for decisive action.

TB remains a pressing public health issue in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, where, according to WHO data, the 22 countries and territories account for 8.7 per cent of global TB cases. In 2023 alone, there were an estimated 936,000 new cases and nearly 86,000 TB-related deaths in the region.

“Every 34 seconds, someone falls ill with tuberculosis, and every six minutes, another life is lost. This is unacceptable. These deaths are avoidable—TB is a curable disease,” said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy.

“In our region, treatment programmes have a success rate of over 90 per cent, but three in ten cases go undetected and untreated. I urge Member States to take decisive action.”

While significant progress has been made in reducing TB incidence and mortality rates, challenges persist. Low detection rates, particularly among vulnerable populations such as refugees and migrants, high treatment default rates leading to drug-resistant TB, and limited access to services in rural areas continue to hinder efforts to control the disease.

To mark World TB Day 2025, WHO is calling on governments, health professionals and communities to commit to strengthening political leadership and national TB strategies, invest in increased domestic funding and international collaboration for TB control programmes and deliver by scaling up WHO-recommended interventions, including early detection, preventive treatment, and quality care.

WHO is collaborating with countries in the region to enhance TB control programmes, expand access to treatment, and promote prevention strategies. The organisation urges governments to strengthen health systems, prioritise screening and detection, and ensure comprehensive support for vulnerable populations.

Tanzania’s progress in TB control

Tanzania has made notable strides in combating TB over the past decade. According to WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2024, the country’s TB incidence rate declined by 40 percent, from 306 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 183 per 100,000 in 2023.

Additionally, TB-related deaths in Tanzania dropped by 68 percent, from 58,000 in 2015 to 18,400 in 2023.

Despite these achievements, challenges persist.

In 2018, Tanzania was among the 30 countries with the highest TB burden worldwide, with an estimated 142,000 cases that year. Alarmingly, 47 percent of these cases were not reported to national health services, highlighting critical gaps in detection and reporting.

As the global community observes World TB Day, the message remains clear—ending tuberculosis requires unwavering commitment, sustained investment, and immediate action.