What question did this study set out to answer?

To highlight the ongoing challenge of tuberculosis in Southeast Asia and the gaps in public health interventions.

March 15, 2026Open Access

TB far from elimination: an enduring reality in the southeast Asia region

Key Points

To highlight the ongoing challenge of tuberculosis in Southeast Asia and the gaps in public health interventions.
Editorial analysis of tuberculosis incidence rates and public health strategies.
Review of WHO End TB Strategy progress and its milestones.
Discussion of the challenges faced in reaching 2030 targets.
TB remains a significant public health issue in Southeast Asia.
Current strategies are insufficient to achieve a 50% reduction in TB incidence by 2025.
The 2030 target to end the TB epidemic is unlikely with present efforts.

Abstract

Every March, as we mark World TB Day, we confront the enduring reality that tuberculosis (TB)—a disease documented since the dawn of civilisation—still affects a vast population. In our December 2024 Editorial, we highlighted that the world was far from reaching the WHO End TB Strategy milestone of a 50% reduction in TB incidence rates by 2025. Global public health leaders argued that more of the same would not be enough to reach the ambitious target of ending the TB epidemic by 2030, a vision outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.

TB far from elimination: an enduring reality in the southeast Asia region

Key Points

Abstract

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