Member states at the 79th World Health Assembly have agreed to begin work on a new global strategy to combat tuberculosis beyond 2030.
The resolution directs the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, to coordinate consultations ahead of a draft framework expected to be presented at the 81st World Health Assembly in 2028.
According to WHO, the proposed strategy will guide future global efforts against tuberculosis by incorporating scientific advances, evolving disease trends, and stronger links between TB programmes, primary healthcare, and universal health coverage.
The organisation said the initiative is also intended to sustain political commitment ahead of the 2028 United Nations High-Level Meeting on tuberculosis, particularly as countries face challenges linked to inequality, conflict, displacement, climate pressures, and inadequate funding.
WHO noted that expanded access to tuberculosis treatment helped save an estimated 83 million lives between 2000 and 2024. It also reported that 2024 recorded the first decline in TB infections since the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the highest level of access to tuberculosis services.
Despite the progress, the agency warned that tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, with global targets under the End TB Strategy still unmet.
In a separate resolution, delegates identified Steatotic Liver Disease as a growing global health concern affecting an estimated 1.7 billion people worldwide. The assembly urged countries to include the disease in national noncommunicable disease strategies, strengthen healthcare systems, improve surveillance, and address risk factors such as unhealthy diets and alcohol use.
