Under the theme of this year’s World Tuberculosis Day (WTBD 2026) – Yes! We can end TB! Led by countries. Powered by people – the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for urgent and sustained action to reverse the TB epidemic in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

TB remains a significant public health concern across the Region. In 2024 alone, an estimated 920 000 new TB cases and nearly 85 000 deaths occurred in the Region. A third of TB cases go undetected, many in fragile and high-burden countries such as Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Every 34 seconds, a person in the Region falls ill with TB. Every 6 minutes, a life is lost to the disease.

“Too many are diagnosed late—or not at all. Service gaps and treatment interruptions fuel transmission and drug resistance, while the cost of care pushes families into hardship,” says WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy.

Gaps persist across the care cascade. Only 30% of estimated drug-resistant cases receive treatment and fewer than 1 in 4 patients benefit from shorter all-oral regimens. Preventive treatment coverage is alarmingly low among household contacts (7.9%) and people living with HIV (9.7%).