Tuberculosis

Description

In partnership with private and public donors, tuberculosis (TB) funding supports interventions that prevent, detect, and cure tuberculosis—an airborne, bacterial disease. The U.S. works in 23 priority countries and provides targeted technical assistance to an additional 32 countries to build the capacity for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment services for millions of people affected by TB and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

Use of Funds

Funds support efforts to prevent and treat TB and MDR-TB through enhanced screening, diagnosis, infection control, healthcare training, technical assistance, and research into new TB treatments.

Justification

• The impact of COVID-19 on the fight against TB has been devastating. Between 2019 and 2020, 1 million fewer people were treated for TB.
• TB is the second-highest infectious killer globally, after COVID-19, contributing to 1.5 million deaths per year.
• New TB cases are falling by approximately 2% annually.
• Increased investment will help stabilize supply chains and fragile markets that have been disrupted by COVID-19. This will allow for the distribution of more quality TB products.
• One person with active, untreated TB can spread the disease to as many as 15 other people in a year.
• Investments save lives. Since 2000, the incidence of TB has decreased by 31%, and mortality decreased by 44%in USAID’s priority countries.