World Tuberculosis Day

On World TB Day 2026, under the theme “ Yes! We can end TB: Led by countries, powered by people ”, WHO is calling for urgent action to: accelerate the roll out of diagnostic technologies that can be used near the point-of-care and other innovations as part of a comprehensive testing network; strengthen people‑centred TB care with meaningful community leadership and continuous engagement; build resilient health systems to safeguard health security; tackle the social and economic drivers of TB through multisectoral action; protect essential TB services amid global crises and funding constraints. “Investing in TB is a strategic political and economic choice, generating up to US$ 43 in health and economic returns for every dollar spent”, said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections. “What is required now is decisive leadership, strategic investment and rapid implementation of WHO recommendations and innovations to...

TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers. Each day, over 3300 people die from TB and more than 29 000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 83 million lives since 2000, however cuts in global health funding are threatening to reverse these gains. Uptake of rapid diagnostic tools has been a challenge in many countries due, in part, to high costs and reliance on sample transport to support testing at centralized laboratories. Scaling up proven solutions, including point-of-care urine tests for people living with HIV , and near-point-of-care, low- or moderate-complexity tests for people with and without HIV, can collectively be used to close diagnostic gaps across all levels of the health system. Such efforts can help advance toward global targets for universal access to TB and drug resistance testing , reduce delays in treatment initiation and curb transmission.

The new guidelines on tests for TB  recommend easy-to-collect tongue swab samples , as well as a cost-saving sputum pooling strategy to increase testing efficiency for TB and rifampicin-resistant TB . Tongue swabs allow adults and adolescents who cannot produce sputum to receive TB testing for the first time, enabling disease detection among people who are at an increased risk of dying from TB. Sputum pooling, where samples from several individuals are combined and tested together, can significantly reduce commodity costs and machine time, leading to faster results for people and TB programmes – an approach specifically recommended when resources are exceptionally constrained.

Reaching a TB-free future  will take continued effort. Governments need to keep investing in health systems. Partners and donors must help close funding gaps. And communities must stay involved driving awareness and supporting those affected. In Kigoma Region, a quiet but important change is transforming the fight against tuberculosis (TB) . People who are suspected to have TB are now getting accurate results within hours instead of days. This means they can start treatment much earlier, recover faster, and reduce the risk of spreading the disease to others. This progress is largely due to increased access to WHO-recommended molecular rapid diagnostic tools , including GeneXpert 10-color machines. These technologies are helping to strengthen TB and HIV services where it matters most at the frontline. It shows what can happen when countries invest in better diagnostic systems and make sure communities can access them. Across the WHO African Region, TB remains one of the deadliest ...

  On World TB Day , the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to accelerate action to end tuberculosis (TB) and expand access to lifesaving services by using new innovations such as diagnostic tests that can be used near the point-of-care and tongue swabs that can help detect the disease faster reaching more people. The new guidelines on tests for TB that can be used near the point-of-care, issued by WHO, mark another step towards faster detection and treatment of one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. These portable, simple-to-use tests bring TB diagnosis closer to where people routinely seek care. Available at less than half the cost of many existing molecular diagnostics, they can help countries expand access to testing. The tests can operate on battery power and deliver results in less than one hour, allowing patients to start treatment sooner. "These new tools could be truly transformative for tuberculosis, by bringing fast, accurate diagnosis clo...

  Your Excellency Ambassador Jia Gui De, Honourable ministers, dear colleagues and friends, I thank your Excellency for joining us today and delivering a statement on behalf of Her Excellency Professor Peng Li Yuan, First Lady of China. We thank Her Excellency for her leadership and advocacy as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS. On World Tuberculosis Day , we honor the millions of lives lost to tuberculosis , and we stand in solidarity with the people, families and communities who continue to live with this preventable and curable disease . We also pay tribute to health workers on the front lines , to national TB programmes, civil society, advocates, partners and donors. Your dedication is saving lives and sustaining hope. Global efforts to combat tuberculosis have saved an estimated 83 million lives since 2000. Progress has been made in testing, treatment, prevention and research. But progress is not victory. Every single day, nearly 3,500 people die from TB, ...