GLOBAL TB CAUCUS STATEMENT ON WHO EXECUTIVE BOARD DECISION TO ADVANCE A POST-2030 END TB STRATEGY

IMAGE: WHO EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Global TB Caucus welcomes and applauds Member States for their leadership at the 158th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization and for advancing a clear decision to shape the future of the global tuberculosis response. 

By requesting the development of a WHO post-2030 tuberculosis strategy, Member States have sent a strong and timely signal. Ending TB remains a political priority, and sustained leadership is essential if progress is to be protected and accelerated beyond 2030. 

This decision comes at a critical moment for the global TB response. Global action has saved millions of lives, and access to TB services has reached record levels. At the same time, tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of death from an infectious disease, and progress towards agreed global targets has been disrupted by COVID-19 and persistent inequalities. Critically, the coming decade will see the availability of truly transformative tools, including new vaccines, diagnostics and treatment regimens. A shared global strategy is essential to ensure these innovations reach the people and countries that need them most, without delay. 

Sustained financing will be decisive in determining whether ambition translates into impact. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria remains the single largest international source of funding for TB, and continued support for its work is essential to protect progress, strengthen health systems and prepare countries to adopt new tools as they become available. 

"TB is treatable and curable yet it continues to kill because it has been given insufficient priority for too long. This decision shows that Member States understand what is at stake and that we have an important opportunity to beat this disease once and for all. With new tools on the horizon, the question now is whether we match scientific progress with political resolve and sustained investment,” said Lord Herbert of South Downs, Chair of the Global TB Caucus.