As the world commemorates TB day, Africa has recorded the steepest decline globally in tuberculosis (TB) deaths since 2015, despite falling short of key milestones to significantly lower the burden of the disease and end its toll on health and lives.

Deaths from TB fell by 42% between 2015 and 2023 while cases declined by 24% over the same period, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Report 2024.

Unfortunately, TB is still the ninth leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS.