WASHINGTON– The ONE Campaign released the following statement on World Tuberculosis Day, which commemorates the approximately 1.5 million people killed by TB each year, as well as global efforts to prevent and treat the disease. 

Tom Hart, President of the ONE Campaign: 

“As we mark World Tuberculosis Day, we face new challenges around the world. For the first time in more than a decade, annual TB deaths rose in 2020. Disruptions to global health systems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are threatening hard-fought progress against TB, affecting the number of people being diagnosed and treated.  

“World TB Day should serve as a wake-up call. We can still get our fight to end preventable disease by 2030 back on track, but it’s going to require bold action from world leaders. The US must step up and set an example by pledging $2 billion for FY 2023 when we host the Global Fund Replenishment this year.”

Background:

COVID-19 caused devastating disruptions in access to health care, stunting and, in some cases, reversing our progress against other preventable diseases. For the first time in a decade, annual tuberculosis deaths are on the rise. Since the start of COVID-19, fewer people are accessing needed services to test and treat tuberculosis. Between 2019 and 2020, one million fewer people were tested and treated for TB, an 18 percent drop. 

It’s not just tuberculosis where our gains are shrinking– the number of people tested for HIV has dropped by 22 percent. There were 14 million more malaria cases in 2020 than 2019, and malaria deaths rose by 12 percent. 

The US is set to host the seventh Global Fund Replenishment conference this year. The Global Fund has called for $18 billion to save 20 million lives, cut the death rate from HIV, TB and malaria by 64% and strengthen systems for health to build a healthier, more equitable world. The US’s fair share would be a $2 billion per year investment.