WHO Warns: Tuberculosis Funding Cuts Put Millions at Risk

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Funding cuts to tuberculosis programs, particularly from the U.S., threaten to reverse decades of progress in preventing and treating the world’s deadliest infectious disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the past 20 years, services, driven by foreign aid, have saved nearly 80 million people — approximately 3.65 million last year alone.

In February, the Trump administration announced it is cutting 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) foreign aid contracts along with $60 billion in international assistance. Among the cuts are programs that have helped contain Ebola outbreaks, given lifesaving human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) treatment to more than 20 million people living in Africa, and offered food and nutritional support to a number of vulnerable countries.

The loss of approximately $200 to 250 million annually in U.S. bilateral funding has put 18 high-burden countries at risk, with the WHO African Region hit hardest, followed by the WHO South-East Asian and Western Pacific regions.

The U.S. contribution accounted for approximately one-quarter of the total amount of international donor funding. Severely affected regions depend on 89% of the expected funding. USAID has also stopped its funded trials, which significantly impacts tuberculosis innovation and research.

The disease, which is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is an airborne illness that mainly affects the lungs. Common symptoms include cough and chest pain, weight loss, fever, chills, fatigue, night sweats and loss of appetite. The disease can also affect other organs, such as the kidneys, liver and heart, as well as the skin, bones, joints, lymph nodes and genitals.

The WHO warns that without urgent action, millions of lives are at stake and global efforts to end tuberculosis by 2027 and 2030 could be derailed. Tuberculosis programs have been impacted by thousands of layoffs of health workers in high-burden countries, along with the suspension of technical assistance roles.

“Any disruption to tuberculosis services — whether financial, political or operational — can have devastating and often fatal consequences for millions worldwide,” said Tereza Kasaeva, M.D., Ph.D., director of the WHO’s Global Programme on TB and Lung Health. “The COVID-19 pandemic proved this, as service interruptions led to over 700,000 excess deaths from tuberculosis between 2020 and 2023, exacerbated by inadequate social protection measures. Without immediate action, hard-won progress in the fight against tuberculosis is at risk. Our collective response must be swift, strategic and fully resourced to protect the most vulnerable and maintain momentum toward ending tuberculosis.”

The WHO says essential tuberculosis services, including drug supply chains and laboratory diagnostics, are already collapsing due to delays in procurement, sample transportation and shortages of important consumables. Community outreach efforts, such as screening, contact tracing and active case findings, are dwindling — leading to increased transmission risks and reduced disease identification.

“In these challenging times, WHO remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting national governments, civil society and global partners in securing sustained funding and integrated solutions to safeguard the health and well-being of those most vulnerable to tuberculosis,” the organization said in a statement.