November 2026 · Tuberculosis
The world’s deadliest infectious disease is one we already know how to cure
Tuberculosis (TB) killed 1.13 million people in 2025, about 3,100 lives every day. It is the world’s leading killer from a single infectious agent.
10.6M
people fell ill with TB in 2025
1 in 4
people worldwide have been infected with TB bacteria
370,000
people developed drug-resistant TB in 2025
The good news
TB is preventable and curable
90% of people treated for drug-susceptible TB are treated successfully. What works is proven:
Find
Screen communities and confirm cases with rapid tests.
Treat
A daily course of oral antibiotics for 4 to 6 months costs as little as $50.
Support
One Tb episode can cost a family as much as $1200. Help with food, travel and lost wages allows patients finish treatment.
Prevent
Give preventive treatment to household contacts and people with HIV. Preventive treatment costs as little as $30/patient.
The science is settled. What’s missing is reach, and that is something communities can build.
Sources
World Health Organization, Global Tuberculosis Report 2026 (published November 12, 2026; figures are for 2025). The 90% treatment success rate is for people with drug-susceptible TB who started treatment in 2024. “1 in 4” and the 4-to-6-month treatment course: WHO Tuberculosis fact sheet. “About 3,100 a day” is 1.13 million deaths divided by 365.