Recent reductions in foreign aid, particularly from high-income countries, have forced a reassessment of tuberculosis control programs worldwide. Clinicians, policymakers, and researchers are confronting uncertainty over funding continuity and the downstream impact on tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis, and care, especially in low- and middle-income countries where reliance on external support has historically been substantial.
Modeling studies published in The Lancet estimate that the withdrawal of funding from the US Agency for International Development alone could result in approximately 1.4 million excess tuberculosis episodes and more than 500,000 additional deaths globally by 2035. If further reductions by other major donors such as France, the United Kingdom, and Germany are fully realized, the cumulative burden could rise to 3.4 million additional cases and 1.2 million deaths…
