The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning that severe funding cuts, particularly from the United States, are putting decades of progress in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) at risk. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, and the WHO emphasized that disruptions to essential services such as prevention, testing, and treatment are leaving millions of people vulnerable.
Regions most affected by these cuts include Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific, where national TB programs rely heavily on international support. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global Programme on TB and Lung Health, stated that “any disruption to TB services – whether financial, political, or operational – can have devastating and often fatal consequences for millions worldwide.”
In February 2025, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also raised concerns over the impact of funding cuts on key health programs, including those combating TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and cholera. Over the past two decades, global TB programs have saved more than 79 million lives, preventing approximately 3.65 million deaths last year alone. A significant portion of this success has been driven by U.S. government funding, which has contributed about $200 to $250 million annually, accounting for roughly a quarter of total international funding.
However, newly announced U.S. funding cuts for 2025 are expected to have devastating effects on TB response efforts in at least 18 high-burden countries, where 89% of the U.S. funding was allocated for patient care. The impact is expected to be particularly severe in Africa, where disruptions to treatment services and staff layoffs could significantly increase TB transmission rates.
Early reports from affected countries show that the funding cuts are already causing serious issues, including health worker layoffs, drug shortages, breakdowns in supply chains, the collapse of data and surveillance systems, and disruptions to ongoing TB research.
“Without immediate action, hard-won progress in the fight against TB is at risk,” Kasaeva warned, urging swift and strategic responses to protect vulnerable populations and maintain momentum toward ending TB. WHO reaffirmed its commitment to working with governments and global partners to secure the funding and integrated solutions needed to safeguard the health of those most at risk of TB.
