Despite available tools tuberculosis is the top killer again

In 2023, tuberculosis likely reclaimed from COVID-19 its status of leading infectious cause of death, with an estimated 10·8 million new cases and 1·25 million deaths, according to WHO’s 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report. This outcome was not unexpected. In our October, 2021, Editorial we postulated, “at some point, tuberculosis will regain its position”. However, that it is coming to fruition, alongside the inadequate progress made towards the WHO End TB Strategy targets and those set at the 2023 UN High-Level meeting on tuberculosis, is disheartening.