Barcelona Institute for Global Health: A Study Links Armed Conflict in Colombia with Higher TB Cases and Mortality

31 March 2026

Barcelona Institute for Global Health news release

The prolonged armed conflict in Colombia has had a significant impact on TB incidence and mortality. This is revealed by a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, which aimed to develop a municipal-level armed conflict intensity index and analyze how it relates to inequalities in the TB burden.

The study showed that TB incidence varied according to the level of conflict in each territory. Throughout the analysed period (2008-2019), municipalities with the highest levels of violence recorded the highest TB case rates. Although at the national level TB case notifications decreased by 16% over the study period, the reduction was not uniform, and significant territorial inequalities persisted. Regarding mortality, results indicated that despite a 9% reduction nationwide, municipalities most affected by conflict continued to show the highest TB death rates.

The research proposed an analytical framework that can be applied to other conflict contexts to analyze health inequalities. This approach could help develop evidence-based policies to reduce the impact of prolonged conflicts on infectious diseases.

Read the full news release here.

Source: Barcelona Institute for Global Health