What is TB?

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected. About a quarter of the world's population has latent TB, which means people have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with the disease and cannot transmit the disease.

Read the tuberculosis factsheet

Sustainable Development Goal target 3.3 includes ending the TB epidemic by 2030. The End TB Strategy defines milestones (for 2020 and 2025) and targets (for 2030 and 2035) for reductions in TB cases and deaths. The targets for 2030 are a 90% reduction in the number of TB deaths and an 80% reduction in the TB incidence rate (new cases per 100 000 population per year) compared with levels in 2015. The milestones for 2020 are a 35% reduction in the number of TB deaths and a 20% reduction in the TB incidence rate. The strategy also includes a 2020 milestone that no TB patients and their households face catastrophic costs as a result of TB disease.

SDG target 3.3 includes ending the TB epidemic by 2030

The burden of TB in the Eastern Mediterranean Region is estimated at 810 000 cases annually, In 2018, only 537 761 cases were reported, which represents only 65% treatment coverage. Of the estimated 38 000 drug-resistant cases, only 4666 received treatment meaning that around one third of estimated cases were either undiagnosed, or diagnosed but not notified to the national TB programme. For multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, the detection rate is only around 13% of estimated cases.

Anti-TB medicines have been used for decades and strains that are resistant to one or more of the medicines have been documented in every country surveyed. Drug resistance emerges when anti-TB medicines are used inappropriately, through incorrect prescription by health care providers, poor quality drugs, and patients stopping treatment prematurely.

The missing third of TB cases represents a major challenge for TB control and care efforts. It reflects limited access to diagnostic services and/or failure to document all detected cases through a comprehensive surveillance system. Complex emergencies pose a serious challenge to ending TB in the Region.

Four countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan) are responsible for more than 80% of missed cases.

TB country profiles

WHO is working closely with countries, partners and civil society in scaling up the TB response. High-level political commitment and support is needed to address the key challenges of securing sustainable domestic financing, finding missing TB cases, addressing multidrug resistance and TB in children and fostering public–private partnership, establishing enabling environments and using efficient electronic surveillance systems and technologies.

Tuberculosis and COVID-19

As the world comes together to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that essential services and operations for dealing with long-standing health problems continue to protect the lives of people with TB and other diseases or health conditions. Health services, including national programmes to combat TB, need to be actively engaged in ensuring an effective and rapid response to COVID-19 while ensuring that TB services are maintained.

COVID-19: Considerations for tuberculosis (TB) care