The World Health Organisation (WHO) said an estimated 10.6 million people developed TB in 2025, while 1.13 million died from the preventable and usually curable disease. TB remained the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide.
The findings are contained in the WHO’s Global TB report 2026, which draws primarily on information collected from national health ministries. A total of 187 countries and areas, representing more than 99% of the world’s population and TB cases, submitted data.
The WHO said the estimated number of people who developed TB in 2025 declined by 0.7%, or about 75 000 cases, compared with 2024. The global incidence rate fell by 1.6%, from 131 to 129 new cases per 100 000 people.
Despite the decline, the incidence rate was only 14% lower than in 2015. This was far below the End TB Strategy milestone of a 50% reduction by 2025 and remained distant from the target of an 80% reduction by 2030.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the continued decline in TB cases and deaths was encouraging, particularly as countries faced cuts in funding. “Many governments have dug deeper into their own budgets to protect the gains they have made,” Tedros said. “And yet, more than one million people still die each year from a disease that is preventable and treatable.”
The WHO said global TB deaths declined by 4%, from 1.18 million in 2024 to 1.13 million in 2025. The figure was 35% lower than the estimated 1.74 million deaths recorded in 2015.
The reduction meant the world had achieved the first mortality milestone under the End TB Strategy, although the target had originally been set for 2020 and was reached five years late. The strategy called for a 75% reduction by 2025 and a 90% reduction by 2030, compared with 2015.
The African and European regions recorded some of the strongest progress, with the number of TB deaths falling by 50% and 51% respectively between 2015 and 2025. The WHO said these were the only regions to surpass the first mortality milestone.
The African Region also recorded a 30% decline in the TB incidence rate over the same period, while the European Region achieved a 42% reduction. However, the African Region continued to account for 25% of people who developed TB globally in 2025.
South Africa (SA) remained among the 30 countries with the highest TB burden and was included on the WHO’s lists for TB, HIV-associated TB and rifampicin-resistant TB. The country was classified as highly endemic, with an estimated incidence rate of between 300 and 499 cases per 100 000 people in 2025.
The report showed that SA had reduced the TB incidence rate by at least 50% from its 2015 level by 2022. The country moved from the WHO’s severely endemic category in 2015 to the highly endemic category in 2025.
Globally, 88% of people who developed TB in 2025 were in the 30 high-burden countries. India accounted for about a quarter of all cases, followed by Indonesia with 10%, the Philippines with 6.8%, China with 6.5%, Pakistan with 6.4%, Nigeria with 4.9%, the Democratic Republic of Congo with 3.9% and Bangladesh with 3.7%.
Men accounted for 54% of global cases, women for 35% and children and young adolescents for 11%. The WHO said about 90% of people who developed the disease were adults, with the burden higher among men than women.
The report found that 8.4 million people were diagnosed with TB and officially reported in 2025, compared with an estimated 10.6 million people who developed the disease. This left an estimated gap of 2.2 million people who were either not diagnosed or not officially reported.
Rapid diagnostic testing increased, with 59% of newly diagnosed patients initially receiving a WHO-recommended rapid test, up from 54% in 2024. However, the rate remained well below the target of 100% by 2027.
The WHO said Namibia and SA were among eight high-burden countries where rapid testing coverage reached at least 80%. The two countries were also among nine high-burden countries reporting that more than half of TB diagnostic sites had access to rapid tests.
Treatment remained effective for most patients who gained access to care. The global treatment success rate for drug-susceptible TB reached 90% in 2024, while the success rate for rifampicin-resistant TB was 70% among patients who began treatment in 2023.
However, only 155 333 people were treated for rifampicin-resistant TB in 2025, representing 42% of the estimated 370 000 people who developed that form of the disease. The use of six-month treatment regimens increased from 18% in 2024 to 42% in 2025.
Funding remained one of the largest constraints. About $6.6 billion was available for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment in low- and middle-income countries in 2025, only 30% of the $22 billion annual target for 2027.
International donor funding declined by 14%, from $1.1 billion in 2024 to $0.94 billion in 2025. Domestic funding increased from $4.9 billion to $5.63 billion, with Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA accounting for 65% of domestic funding.
Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, said the decline demonstrated what could be achieved when commitments were translated into action.
“But we cannot lose sight of the millions of people who are still not reached with the TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care they need,” Kasaeva said. “Together, we can accelerate progress towards ending TB.”
–WHO/ChannelAfrica–
Image: Reuters
