Tuberculosis was declared a global emergency by WHO in 1993. Then, about a third of the world’s population was infected with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, and the disease was responsible for an estimated 3 million deaths each year. Today, around a quarter of the world’s population has a tuberculosis infection, which causes about 1·6 million annual deaths, making it the leading infectious killer of our time.

Although progress has been made in reducing the global burden of tuberculosis in the past 25 years, it has occurred at a frustratingly slow rate. Declines in tuberculosis mortality are not keeping pace with reductions in deaths from other infectious diseases of global importance such as HIV and malaria, and the world is not on track to meet targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals and the WHO End TB Strategy.

The LancetCommission on Tuberculosis provides critical reflection on progress to-date and a roadmap for countries and their development partners to achieve global commitments towards ending the tuberculosis epidemic. Its recommendations come at a crucial time. In September, 2018, the UN held its first High-Level Meeting on tuberculosis that produced a political declaration to accelerate global and national actions. The momentum that this meeting generated provides an opportunity to reinvigorate the global tuberculosis response—this opportunity must not be squandered.

To know more on the commission: https://www.thelancet.com/commissions/tuberculosis-free-world

The Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis provides critical reflection on progress to-date and a roadmap for countries and their development partners to achieve global commitments towards ending tuberculosis