Global TB Progress Mired By Scarce Funding, COVID-19, Says WHO Report

Global targets for tuberculosis (TB) prevention and treatment will likely be missed due to insufficient funding, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic revealed the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report. In the period 2018-2019, 14 million people were treated for tuberculosis, over one-third of the way towards the five-year target of 40 million for 2018-2022.

The WHO's End TB Strategy aims for a 90% reduction in TB deaths and 80% reduction in TB incidence rate by 2030. Funding is a significant issue, according to the report.

In 2020, funding for tuberculosis diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and care reached $6.5 billion.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to further setbacks on access to tuberculosis services.

Data collected from over 200 countries have shown reductions in TB case notifications. 25 to 30% reported in three high burden countries, namely Indonesia, Philippines, and India, between January and June 2020.

These reductions could lead to an increase in additional tuberculosis deaths. According to WHO:

• About 85% of tuberculosis funding in 2020 came from domestic sources.
• Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa provide 57% of the global total.

"Equitable access to quality and timely diagnosis, prevention, treatment and care remains a challenge. Accelerated action is urgently needed worldwide if we are to meet our targets by 2022," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

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Source-Medindia