New Delhi, March 24 The South-East Asia region continues to bear a disproportionate burden of tuberculosis, one of the leading infectious diseases worldwide, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) official on Tuesday.
On World TB Day, the WHO called for stronger national leadership, sustained investment, and continued community and public engagement to control the spread of the disease.
In a statement, Dr Catharina Boehme, officer-in-charge, WHO South-East Asia, said, "The region accounts for approximately 34 per cent of the global population affected by the disease and nearly 40 per cent of deaths. In 2024 alone, an estimated 3.68 million people developed TB, and approximately 433,000 lives were lost, including 13,000 among people living with HIV," she said in a statement.
This year's theme – "Yes! We Can End TB" – is a timely reminder that progress is within reach when political commitment, science and innovation, and community leadership come together, Dr Boehme said.
Since 2015, South-East Asia has achieved a 23 per cent reduction in TB deaths and a 16 per cent decline in TB incidence, surpassing the global average decline of 12 per cent.
Treatment coverage has expanded significantly to over 85 per cent, with over 3.1 million people initiating treatment in 2024. The member states continue to achieve treatment success rates above the global average, including for drug-resistant TB, while expanding preventive treatment for people living with HIV and household contacts, she said.
National programs are strengthening TB services, integrating them within primary health care and universal health coverage, and using data and innovation to reach those still being missed. These gains reflect the sustained efforts of governments, health workers, communities, and partners across the region.
Nevertheless, the region remains off track to meet the "End TB" milestones.
Drug-resistant TB remains a serious challenge, with an estimated 150,000 cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR) and Rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) each year in the region.
Socio-economic factors continue to fuel transmission as undernutrition and diabetes are major risk factors, and 44 per cent of TB-affected households face catastrophic costs due to the disease.
To drive progress, the focus needs to be on accelerating the pace of decline in TB incidence and deaths, especially in high-burden settings, through integrated approaches embedded within primary health care to provide people-centred care, Boehme said.
There is a need to close the detection and treatment gaps through universal access, rapid diagnostics, and shorter treatment regimens.
Boehme also stressed harnessing new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to expand access to quality care that leaves no one behind.