Fighting Lung Disease: a Massive, and Ongoing, Success Story

Africa has recorded the sharpest decline in tuberculosis (TB) deaths since 2015, thanks to decisive measures to detect cases and provide treatment, and urgent action remains crucial for commitments to turn into tangible impact.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report 2024, deaths from TB dropped by 42%, while cases declined by 24%, between 2015 and 2023.

Increased efforts to reinforce case detection made all the difference. For instance, 1.9 million cases were detected in 2023, compared to 1.4 million in 2020, with treatment coverage increasing from 55% to 74% over the same period. As the theme for World TB Day 2025 is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”, substantial investment remains urgent to scale up WHO-recommended interventions for early detection, diagnosis, preventive treatment, and high-quality TB care. The WHO End TB Strategy aims to reduce TB deaths and cases by 75% and 50%, respectively, by 2025, compared to 2015 levels. South Africa has already achieved a 50% reduction in TB incidence, becoming the first country to surpass the 2025 milestone ahead of schedule. As for Mozambique, Tanzania, Togo, and Zambia, they have met the 2025 goal of a 75% reduction in TB deaths. Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Uganda have mortality reductions of 66% or more.