Member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region committed to stronger, integrated action to close critical gaps in the fight against tuberculosis during the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia. According to the WHO, the region accounted for approximately 34% of new tuberculosis cases globally in 2024, translating to an estimated 3.68 million cases and 433,000 deaths.
Regional Disease Burden and Financial Strains
The WHO South-East Asia Region represents nearly a quarter of the world’s population, yet it bears a disproportionate share of the global tuberculosis burden. Data released during the session show that approximately 150,000 people in the region developed multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in 2024, which accounts for more than 38% of the global burden for drug-resistant strains. Dr. Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region, stated that tuberculosis remains a major driver of poverty and mortality despite being curable and preventable.
“We have the tools to change this trajectory,” Dr. Buddha said during the Dili meeting. “What we need is to ensure that these tools reach everyone who needs them – earlier, equitably and as part of quality primary health care.”
Financial shortfalls continue to hamper regional response efforts. According to WHO figures, approximately $900 million was available for the regional tuberculosis response in 2024, falling significantly short of the estimated $3 billion needed. Consequently, nearly 44% of tuberculosis-affected households face catastrophic costs, a figure that climbs to over 80% for households dealing with drug-resistant strains of the disease.
Strategic Priorities for Detection and Prevention
To reverse these trends, member countries agreed to expand early and complete detection through routine health services, systematic screening, and active case finding among high-risk and underserved populations. Countries will widen their deployment of WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics, including molecular testing and digital technologies. Treatment initiatives will also pivot toward more people-centered models, incorporating nutritional assistance, community-based support, and targeted measures to dismantle social, geographical, and financial barriers to care.
Prevention strategies emphasize expanding access to tuberculosis preventive treatment for eligible household contacts and high-risk individuals. Health authorities also plan to strengthen infection prevention and control while tackling major drivers of vulnerability, such as undernutrition, diabetes, and tobacco use.
Vaccine Preparedness and Progress Since 2015
Regional modeling indicates that combining improved treatment regimens, robust public-private engagement, rapid diagnostics, targeted prevention, and future vaccine rollouts could drastically reduce incidence and mortality. According to the WHO, introducing a tuberculosis vaccine from 2028 alongside standard interventions could avert roughly 1.45 million new cases and 300,000 deaths by 2030.
These forward-looking targets build on measurable gains achieved since 2015. Treatment coverage across the South-East Asia Region now exceeds 85%, and treatment success rates rank among the highest across all WHO regions. The rate of new infections has fallen by 16%, outpacing the global average decline of 12%, while regional tuberculosis deaths have dropped by 23%.
Despite this progress, current trajectories remain short of the ambitious End TB Strategy targets, which call for an 80% reduction in incidence and a 90% reduction in deaths by 2030 compared to 2015 levels. To bridge this gap, member states committed to deeply integrating tuberculosis services into primary health care and universal health coverage frameworks, while expanding regional cooperation through South–South collaboration and cross-border continuity of care for migrant populations.