Life-saving services in TB response

Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially fatal disease with airborne transmission and drug-resistant variants. TB kills more people than any other infectious disease. In 2023, 1.25 million people died due to TB worldwide, including 191,000 children¹. Most people who die of TB remain untreated as about 3 million people are missed by TB programs every year. Undiagnosed and untreated TB has a mortality rate of about 50%, and one such individual can infect up to 15 people in a year². However, early diagnosis and effective treatment leads to cure in more than 90% of individuals. Untreated drug-resistant TB has even a higher mortality but it can be diagnosed, treated and cured. 

All activities for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment save lives. These activities can be grouped into three categories: 

1. Activities that save the lives of sick people through prompt diagnosis and effective treatment. 

•  TB screening and testing equipment and reagents, including for diagnosis of drug-resistant TB 
•  Laboratory and X-ray services, including specimen transport 
•  Medical services for diagnosis of all forms of TB in adults and children 
•  Medicines for treatment of TB and drug-resistant TB 
•  Treatment adherence and support services to ensure treatment completion and cure 

2. Activities that save lives by preventing TB infection from progressing into TB disease 

• Contact tracing and TB Preventive Treatment of contacts of people with TB 
• TB Preventive Treatment for People Living with HIV and other groups at increased risk of TB 

3. Activities that improve access / remove barriers to TB care and prevention services 

• TB screening at health facilities and communities to identify TB among populations with high burdens of TB and limited access to care. 
• Activities that reduce socio-economic barriers to access lifesaving care 
• Community supported/led TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring services 

Human resources, procurement and supply chain, capacity building and technical support for program implementation and M&E needed to ensure that these activities happen should also be considered as part of lifesaving services.