The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries in the South-East Asia Region to step up efforts to eliminate tuberculosis (TB), stressing the need for stronger political leadership, increased domestic investment and wider access to rapid diagnostic tests and treatment.
The region accounted for 3.6 million new TB cases in 2025, representing 34 percent of the global total, while 400,000 people died from the disease, or 35 percent of global TB-related deaths, according to the latest WHO estimates released on Friday, November 13.
It also accounted for around 38 percent of the global burden of rifampicin-resistant and multidrug-resistant TB, with an estimated 140,000 people developing these forms of the disease, reads a statement released by the WHO.
“These numbers are a stark reminder that TB remains one of the Region’s most pressing public health and development challenges. Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community affected by a disease that is preventable and curable,” the statement quoted Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge of the WHO South-East Asia Region, as saying.
Despite the high disease burden, countries in the region have made progress in expanding access to TB services. In 2025, 87 percent of people with TB were reached with diagnosis and treatment services, compared with the global average of 79 percent, the WHO added. Treatment success rates also exceeded global averages, reaching 93 percent for drug-susceptible TB and 74 percent for rifampicin-resistant TB.
However, significant gaps remain in early detection, according to the WHO. Only 47 percent of people with new and recurrent TB were tested using WHO-recommended rapid diagnostic tests at the time of diagnosis. The WHO said wider access to rapid molecular diagnostics was essential to detect the disease and drug resistance early and ensure timely treatment.
Since 2015, TB incidence in the region has declined by 18 percent, while deaths have fallen by 31 percent. However, both reductions remain below the milestones set under the WHO’s End TB Strategy for 2025.
The WHO also highlighted the role of factors beyond the health sector in driving the disease burden. Undernutrition contributes to an estimated 450,000 new TB cases annually in the region, while diabetes accounts for around 400,000 cases. Smoking, harmful alcohol use and HIV co-infection are other major risk factors.
The financial burden on affected households also remains high, with an estimated 44 percent of people affected by TB and their families facing catastrophic costs, the WHO noted. The WHO stressed that diagnosis and treatment services must therefore be complemented by social protection measures, including nutritional and financial assistance.
According to the WHO, its South-East Asian member states at its 79th Regional Committee session in September 2026 adopted a resolution reaffirming their commitment to ending TB by 2030. The resolution calls for early detection through systematic screening of at-risk populations, active case-finding and wider use of rapid molecular diagnostics.
It also calls for preventive treatment for household contacts and people living with HIV, while addressing underlying risk factors such as undernutrition, diabetes and tobacco use. Integrating quality TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment into primary healthcare systems is another priority, alongside measures to protect affected households, tackle stigma and discrimination, and sustain domestic investment in essential services, medicines and community-based responses.
The region had US$1.03 billion available for TB prevention and care in 2025, with 91 percent coming from domestic sources. However, this represented only around 16 percent of global TB funding, despite the region accounting for 34 percent of the world’s TB cases.
“Ending TB is not simply a health sector responsibility. It requires leadership across government, sustained investment, strong health systems and communities at the centre of the response,” Buddha said, calling for stronger commitment to ensure that available prevention, diagnostic and treatment services reach everyone in need without delay or financial hardship.
The WHO said achieving the 2030 target would depend on countries translating political commitments into measurable action with greater urgency and scale.
