Eliminating tuberculosis by addressing access and equity

WHO released its Global Tuberculosis Report recently, formally recording the return of tuberculosis (TB) as the world's leading infectious disease killer in 2023, 3 years after being replaced by COVID-19 at the top. The report highlights the progress made and challenges that lie ahead for the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Globally, the net reduction in the TB incidence rate between 2015 and 2023 was 8.3%, far from the WHO End TB Strategy milestone of a 50% reduction by 2025. The WHO South-East Asia Region accounts for more than 45% of the burden of annual incidence of TB, with six countries contributing the largest number of patients with TB and TB-related deaths globally.