Understanding tuberculosis: the invisible threat

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s deadliest infectious disease killer. Since 1882 TB has killed over one billion people – more deaths than malaria, smallpox, HIV, cholera, plague and influenza combined. 

TB is both preventable and curable. Yet in 2023, 10.8 million people fell ill with TB worldwide and 1.25 million people died from the condition. 

The human cost of tuberculosis

In 2024, Results UK interviewed six TB survivors in four continents. Their stories reveal the deep stigma and mental health battles associated with TB. . Each has become champions for change. They want the world to know that TB doesn’t discriminate; it can affect anyone, anywhere. 

One survivor, Olya, a mother and the Chair of TBPeople Ukraine, says her experience made her feel like “a character in a very evil reality show in which I was living in absolute loneliness”. 

She adds: “At that time I did not know what TB was, and I certainly did not know what stigma and discrimination were… I cried desperately in the doctor’s office, begging her to just help me. I tried to explain that I had a daughter and a job…but none of this helped her see me as a human being.”

Breaking the stigma

The  stigma and discrimination associated with TB creates significant obstacles to healthcare access, as people with TB symptoms  may delay seeking diagnosis and treatment for fear of being labelled. In turn, this increases the risk of TB spreading further.  

A major cause of this stigma is a lack of awareness and understanding of TB. h Some wrongly view TB as a ‘curse’, believing that those infected should be isolated. 

Medical terminology can also be demeaning. People who struggle to complete their TB treatment are sometimes labelled as ‘defaulters, for example. This places the blame on the individual rather than recognising that  medication costs, access to nutritious food and transport to healthcare facilities can all affect a person’s ability to complete treatment.

Common myths and misconceptions about TB

Myth	Truth
TB is a disease of the past.	TB remains the deadliest infectious disease in the world. TB is prevalent in all countries. Over 10 million people fall ill with TB every year.
TB only affects people in low-income economies.	TB can affect anyone anywhere in the world, regardless of geographic location or economic status. TB is prevalent in all countries and is currently increasing in high-income economies such as the UK and the US.
You cannot cure multidrug-resistant TB.	There is a new all-oral treatment for drug-resistant TB that can be completed in as little as six months.
You can catch TB by sharing cutlery or shaking hands.	Once someone has started treatment for TB, after 2-3 weeks they are no longer able to spread the disease. You need to be exposed to TB droplets in the air for a long period of time – typically eight hours or more, to be at risk of contracting the illness.
TB is hereditary.	TB is not hereditary.
People who have been vaccinated with the BCG vaccine cannot get TB.	Unfortunately, the BCG vaccine is over 100 years old and not effective in protecting adults from developing TB. It has some efficacy for young children under the age of five. New vaccines are in development.

Global TB challenges

TB is not just a global public health issue; it is also a development challenge. 

It disproportionately affects people in low-income economies and those marginalised by their circumstances, such as being displaced or homeless. TB bacteria thrive in overcrowded, poorly ventilated environments and anywhere where there is a lack of access to clean water and sanitation. People who are malnourished, or have HIV or diabetes, have weaker immune systems, making them more susceptible to developing TB. 

Weak health systems and limited access to TB tests and treatment further hinders TB control efforts. In 2023, only 48% of people with TB were diagnosed on the new World Health Organization-approved rapid tests, which are essential for detecting drug-resistant strains of TB. 

Treatment for TB can take anything from a few months to two years to treat and causes severe side effects. This creates a huge financial strain on households. In 2023, 49% of people treated for TB and their households faced ‘catastrophic costs’ – income losses that are more than 20% of annual household income. By affecting those already experiencing poverty and reducing their ability to work, TB exacerbates social and economic inequalities, hampering development across low-income economies where TB is prevalent.  

TB is not just a disease, it is a silent threat which deepens poverty and inequality and steals lives. Yet the political will and financial resources needed to end TB are lacking. In 2023, TB received US $5.7 billion for TB prevention, diagnosis and care, 26% of the US $22 billion needed. TB receives less funding than other infectious diseases, such as HIVand malaria, even though the number of TB deaths  far outweighs the number of deaths related to AIDS  or malaria. 

Inaction by governments could lead to 31 million TB-related deaths by 2050, costing the global economy US $17.4 trillion. 

The voices of people with lived experience of TB are a reminder of just how devastating TB is.We can prevent and cure TB, but only if we act with a sense of urgency and global cooperation. We cannot allow indifference and underfunding to cost millions more lives. The fight against TB is a fight for dignity, justice, and the right to a future free from suffering. The time for action is now. 

#YesWeCanEndTB