Yes! We can end tuberculosis!

Also available in: Español

By: Lídice López Tocón

March 24 marks World Tuberculosis Day. This date is an opportunity to take stock of progress, reflect on challenges, and plan to eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem by 2030.

Reviewing progress and challenges in the fight against tuberculosis also prepares us for the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB in September, where global commitments to eliminate tuberculosis will be renewed.

The theme of this year’s campaign draws attention to the power we have as a global community to change the course of TB, recover from the devastation caused by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensure prevention and treatment, and get back on track toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

The World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report, released in December 2022, highlighted the setbacks in the global response over the past three years, despite what appeared to be a recovery in 2022.

Diagnosis and notification of TB cases declined, and deaths increased. An estimated 187,000 people living with HIV and 1.4 million people not living with HIV died of TB in 2021. On the other hand, access to treatment for drug-resistant TB is known to have decreased between 2019 and 2020.

However, the report also provides some encouraging data: in 2021, the number of people living with HIV receiving TB preventive treatment rebounded to levels similar to those in 2019.

A critical year for the tuberculosis response

This year, 2023, is critical for a turnaround in the TB response. We have more tools to respond to TB, more accurate diagnostic technologies, shorter and more effective treatment regimens, and the expectation of new vaccines in the near future.

In addition, the United Nations High-Level Meeting has been confirmed for September in New York City. At this meeting, countries worldwide will review their progress and challenges in responding to TB and commit to taking action to reverse the course of the epidemic.

This global campaign and its accompanying declarations also strongly emphasize strengthening community engagement in the TB response. As in the HIV response, communities (people who have recovered from TB infection and their families) play a critical role in improving prevention, diagnosis and linkage to health services.

In Latin America, from Guatemala to Peru, there are many examples of how this engagement has made a difference in the response, in people’s health and in preventing deaths.

Many areas still need to be addressed, such as adequate funding for interventions, research, access to molecular diagnostics, and the development of effective vaccines that can reach the population quickly. Other determinants of the epidemic, such as protecting human rights, addressing gender inequality, and financing and empowering communities, also need to be examined. With renewed commitment from countries, we can close these gaps.

Yes! We can end TB !