First WHO global ministerial conference: ending TB in the sustainable development era: a multisectoral response

Overview

We, the Ministers of Health and from across Governments acknowledge that despite concerted efforts, tuberculosis (TB), including its drug-resistant forms, causes more deaths than any other infectious disease worldwidea and is a serious threat to global health security.

TB kills more than five thousand children, women and men each day and leaves no country untouched.a It is one of the leading killers among people of working age which creates and reinforces a cycle of ill-health and poverty, with potential catastrophic social and economic consequences for families, communities, and countries. While recognizing the higher prevalence of TB among men, women and children are also vulnerable to the consequences of TB due to gender- and age-related social and health inequalities, such as poor health literacy, limited access to health services, stigma and discrimination, and exposure to the infection as carers. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) accounts for one-third of all antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related deaths, making the global AMR agenda central to tackling TB. TB is also the principal cause of death among people living with HIV/AIDS. The global TB targets will not be met without new and more effective tools and innovative approaches for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Persistent funding gaps impede progress towards ending TB.

Although a concern to all people, TB disproportionately afflicts the poorest and the most vulnerable populations. Tobacco smoking, harmful use of alcohol and other substance abuse, air pollution, exposure to silica dust, living with HIV/AIDS, diabetes and malnutrition increase the risk of TB. Stigma and discrimination remain critical barriers to TB care.

We reaffirm our commitment to end the TB epidemic by 2030 as envisaged in the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy, and the Stop TB Partnership Global Plan to End TB 2016-2020.