World Tuberculosis Day 2026; March 24th.

FORUM: "Yes! We Can End TB: Led by countries. Powered by people" World Tuberculosis Day 2026. The theme is a bold call to action and a message of hope, affirming that it is possible to get back on track and turn the tide on the TB epidemic, even in a challenging global environment. With decisive country leadership, increased domestic and international investment, rapid uptake of new WHO recommendations and innovations, accelerated action, and strong multi-sectoral collaboration, ending TB is not just aspirational - it is achievable. WHO is calling for urgent action to: accelerate the roll out of diagnostic technologies that can be used near the point-of-care and other innovations as part of a comprehensive testing network; To strengthen people‑centred TB care with meaningful community leadership and continuous engagement; To build resilient health systems to safeguard health security; To tackle the social and economic drivers of TB through multisectoral action; and To protect essential TB services amid global crises and funding constraints. While new diagnostic tools represent a critical step forward, ending TB will require sustained investment in research and innovation. Global funding for TB research remains far below the estimated annual need of around US$ 5 billion, leaving major gaps in the development of new diagnostics, medicines and vaccines needed to end the epidemic. WHO is working with partners to accelerate progress through initiatives such as the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council, launched to fast-track the development and equitable access to new TB vaccines by aligning governments, researchers, funders and industry around shared priorities and coordinated investment. As countries mark World TB Day 2026, The WHO urges governments and partners to prioritize TB as a central pillar of health security and universal health coverage. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldTBDay, #24March, #YesWecanEndTB, #Tuberculosis.

EVENTS: On Monday; March 24th; The World Health Organization (WHO) will commemorate the World Tuberculosis Day 2026 to urge countries to ramp up progress; Under the theme ''Yes! We Can End TB! Led by countries. Powered by people'' the campaign highlights a rallying cry for urgency, and accountability and hope. This year is critical, with opportunities to raise visibility and political commitment to end TB. On the occasion on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, March 24th, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for an urgent investment of resources to protect and maintain tuberculosis (TB) care and support services for people in need across regions and countries. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, responsible for over 1 million deaths annually bringing devastating impacts on families and communities. The Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 79 million lives since 2000. However, the drastic and abrupt cuts in global health funding happening now are threatening to reverse these gains. Rising drug resistance especially across Europe and the ongoing conflicts across the Middle-East, Africa and Eastern Europe, are further exacerbating the situation for the most vulnerable. Register to participate!

ONLINE TALK SHOW: On March 18th, 2026; From 13:30 to 16:00 CET; an Online Talk Show entitled ‘‘Yes we can end TB.’’ was held. Watch the talk show!

WEBINAR: A joint webinar of the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), dedicated to World Tuberculosis Day 2026. Campaign theme: “Yes! We Can End TB!: Led by countries, powered by people!” The event presented key findings, trends, and epidemiological signals based on data from the joint report “Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2026”. It also highlighted the high burden of MDR/RR‑TB, gaps in treatment, and the scale-up of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Get the agenda programme and Watch the livestream!

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RESEARCH: A New Tuberculosis Strategy Shows Promise from Science | AAAS. Now a group in the Republic of Korea reports what they believe could be a potent new method of fighting TB: a combination of cheap drugs and a DNA vaccine. Learn more.

PUBLICATIONS: Funding: threat to global TB efforts - Early reports to WHO reveal that severe disruptions in the TB response are seen across several of the highest-burden countries following the funding cuts. Countries in the WHO African Region are experiencing the greatest impact, followed by countries in the WHO South-East Asian and Western Pacific Regions. Twenty seven countries are facing crippling breakdowns in their TB response, with devastating consequences, such as: Human resource shortages undermining service delivery; Diagnostic services severely disrupted, delaying detection and treatment; Data and surveillance systems collapsing, compromising disease tracking and management; Community engagement efforts, including active case finding, screening, and contact tracing, deteriorating, leading to delayed diagnoses and increased transmission risks. Nine countries report failing TB drug procurement and supply chains, jeopardizing treatment continuity and patient outcomes. The 2025 funding cuts further exacerbate an already existing underfunding for global TB response. In 2023, only 26% of the US$ 22 billion annually needed for TB prevention and care was available, leaving a massive shortfall. TB research is in crisis, receiving just one-fifth of the US$ 5 billion annual target in 2022 – severely delaying advancements in diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. WHO is leading efforts to accelerate TB vaccine development through the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council, but progress remains at risk without urgent financial commitments.
New guidance on TB and lung health: As one of the solutions to combating growing resource constraints, WHO is driving the integration of TB and lung health within primary healthcare as a sustainable solution. New technical guidance released by WHO outlines critical actions across the care continuum, focusing on prevention, early detection of TB and comorbidities, optimized management at first contact and improved patient follow-up. The guidance also promotes better use of existing health systems, addressing shared risk factors such as overcrowding, tobacco, undernutrition and environmental pollutants. By tackling TB determinants alongside communicable and non-communicable diseases, lung conditions, and disabilities through a unified strategy, WHO aims to reinforce the global response and drive lasting improvements in health outcomes. On World TB Day, WHO calls on everyone: individuals, communities, societies, donors and governments, to do their part to end TB. Without concerted action from all stakeholders, the TB response will be decimated, reversing decades of progress, putting millions of lives at risk and threatening health security. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, responsible for over 1 million deaths annually bringing devastating impacts on families and communities.

STATEMENTS:

Statement by Dr. Tedros; Director of the World Health Organization on behalf the World TB Day 2026; March 24th.


Statement delivered by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, Regional Director, WHO Regional Office for Europe on World TB Day 2026.


Statement delivered by Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO's department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and STIs on World TB Day 2026.


Statement delivered by Hon. Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, South Africa on World TB Day 2026.