[London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine] Ending Undernutrition Could Stop Nearly a Quarter of TB Cases

12 May 2026

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine news release

A new study in The Lancet Global Health has found that nearly a quarter of all adult episodes of TB throughout the world could be eliminated by establishing programmes to end undernutrition.

Researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have contributed to new modelling of the potentially massive impact of food programmes on reducing the burden of TB, alongside their other health and socioeconomic benefits.

TB is the leading cause of death from an infectious disease, principally affecting poorer populations in low- and middle-income countries. With current progress in reducing TB worldwide being slow and heterogeneous, public health researchers have been analysing the broader social factors that contribute to TB, such as undernutrition.

Read the full news release here.

Source: London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine