Stop TB Partnership Brief on Life-Saving TB Services

3 April 2025

The Stop TB Partnership, in collaboration with its Board members and partners, has released a new brief emphasizing life-saving services in national TB responses that must be maintained at all times.

TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Undiagnosed and untreated TB, including drug-resistant strains, can be fatal and spreads through the air— posing a serious global health threat.

Between 2010 and 2023, TB diagnosis, prevention, and treatment services saved 48 million lives worldwide. Increased access to testing and treatment has reduced TB-related deaths, yet in 2023 alone, TB still claimed 1.25 million lives, primarily among those undiagnosed or untreated.

Disruptions to health systems — caused by funding shortages, lockdowns, civil unrest, extreme weather, or natural disasters — threaten access to life-saving TB care. As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, interruptions in TB services can lead to a dramatic rise in deaths.

This newly released brief from the Stop TB Partnership outlines critical TB response activities that, if disrupted, could result in preventable deaths. These essential services must be safeguarded at all costs.

Designed as a living document, the brief will evolve, serving as a key resource for governments, donors, civil society, humanitarian organizations, and health workers — ensuring uninterrupted TB services even in emergencies and uncertain times.

Read more and access the full document here.

 

Source: Stop TB Partnership