The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarms over the potential consequences of imminent funding cuts to global Tuberculosis (TB) programmes, warning that such reductions could have devastating effects on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that heavily depend on international aid.
According to Voice of Nigeria (VON), it noted that WHO statement released on Thursday in Abuja, disclosed that the planned budget reductions, particularly from the United States, place 18 of the highest TB-burden countries at risk, as they relied on U.S. funding for nearly 89% of their TB care resources.
The African region stands to suffer the most from these funding disruptions, followed closely by the South-East Asian and Western Pacific regions.
Over the past two decades, international support for TB prevention, testing, and treatment services has saved an estimated 79 million lives, preventing approximately 3.65 million deaths in 2023 alone.
Read Also: First tuberculosis diagnostic test met prequalification — WHO
WHO attributed much of this success to funding from global donors, particularly the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
However, abrupt funding withdrawals now threaten to undo these hard-earned gains, endangering millions of lives, especially among vulnerable populations.
Data reported by national TB programmes to WHO and the U.S. government’s reports to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicate that the U.S. government has annually contributed between $200 million and $250 million in bilateral funding for TB responses.
This accounts for roughly a quarter of total international donor funding for TB.
WHO’s Director of Global Programme on TB and Lung Health, Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, stressed that disruptions in TB services—whether financial, political, or operational—could lead to severe and often fatal outcomes.
Drawing parallels with the COVID-19 pandemic, she noted that interruptions in healthcare services between 2020 and 2023 resulted in over 700,000 excess TB-related deaths, exacerbated by inadequate social protection measures.
“Without immediate action, hard-won progress in the fight against TB is at risk. Our collective response must be swift, strategic, and fully resourced to protect the most vulnerable and maintain momentum toward ending TB.” Kasaeva said.
She highlighted WHO’s mandated leadership role in helping countries achieve the ‘End TB’ targets set for 2027 and 2030. However, early reports from the 30 highest TB-burden countries indicate that funding cuts are already dismantling crucial services, severely impacting global efforts to combat TB.
A ripple effect of the funding reductions includes an escalating crisis in health and community workforces. Thousands of healthcare workers in high-burden countries are facing layoffs, while technical assistance roles have been suspended, paralyzing national TB programmes.
Supply chain disruptions, caused by staff shortages and budget cuts, are jeopardizing access to life-saving TB medication and essential prevention services.
Additionally, laboratory services are experiencing severe setbacks, with delays in sample transportation, procurement failures, and shortages of diagnostic consumables.
Read Also: Singer Shakira hospitalised in Peru
The collapse of data and surveillance systems is further crippling routine reporting and drug resistance monitoring. Community-based efforts, including active case detection, screening, and contact tracing, are also deteriorating, increasing the risk of transmission.
Dr. Kasaeva warned that without urgent intervention, these systemic failures would reverse decades of progress in TB control and jeopardize millions of lives. She also pointed out that USAID, the world’s third-largest TB research funder, has halted all its ongoing trials, thereby stalling crucial advancements in TB research and innovation.
With TB remaining one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide, WHO is calling for immediate international action to safeguard existing gains and prevent a global health crisis.
Without immediate intervention, these systemic failures will cripple TB prevention and treatment efforts, reverse decades of progress, and endanger millions of lives,” Kasaeva emphasized.
