Tuberculosis Remains Leading Infectious Killer Despite Progress

The World Health Organization reports a decline in tuberculosis deaths, yet significant investment is needed to meet global eradication goals by 2030.

The World Health Organization noted a slight decrease in global tuberculosis deaths from 1.32 million to 1.25 million in the past year.
Despite progress, tuberculosis is likely the leading cause of death among infectious diseases in 2023, surpassing COVID-19.
Efforts to reduce tuberculosis deaths by 75% from 2015 to 2025 have only achieved a 23% decrease so far.
More than half of new tuberculosis cases in 2023 were reported in India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan.
Effective treatment can cure about 85% of tuberculosis cases, but without it, the disease remains deadly for nearly half of those infected.