WHO, Pakistan Urge Urgent Investment to Combat Tuberculosis Crisis

On World Tuberculosis Day 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) and various national governments, including Pakistan and Nigeria, emphasized the urgent need for investment to combat tuberculosis (TB), which remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, claiming over one million lives annually. The campaign theme, 'Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,' serves as a call to action amid alarming statistics, such as one person dying of TB every seven minutes in Nigeria. WHO warned that recent funding cuts threaten to reverse decades of progress made in the fight against TB, jeopardizing access to prevention and treatment services, particularly in high-burden countries. In Pakistan, improvements have been noted in TB treatment coverage, reaching 70% of the affected population in 2024, yet challenges remain. The European region reported a worrying 10% rise in TB cases among children, indicating that progress against the disease is fragile and further exacerbated by rising drug resistance and conflicts in various regions. WHO's Director-General reiterated the need for global commitment and innovative solutions to sustain TB care and services during these challenging times.