Canada announces support for worldwide efforts to end the global TB epidemic

From: Global Affairs Canada

News release

March 24 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

Every year, tuberculosis (TB) kills 1.5 million people, despite being both preventable and curable. Although it kills more people than any other infectious disease, except COVID-19, TB is largely neglected because it disproportionally affects the Global South. Last year, more than four million people globally with TB diagnoses were missed by health services, fueling preventable deaths.     

The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, announced that Canada would contribute $11 million to Stop TB Partnership’s TB REACH initiative.

This work will help increase the capacity to detect and treat TB in vulnerable populations, including dedicated focus on vulnerable women and girls, people living with HIV/AIDS, social and economically disadvantaged groups and migrant workers.

TB REACH is also working to identify new ways to reach populations that are often overlooked, improve access to diagnostics and treatment, and integrate TB and COVID-19 services to ensure that health systems are strengthened in support of the most vulnerable.

Canada is the second largest country donor for global TB programming, and we are committed to ending TB by 2030.

Canada’s support for TB REACH – $205 million since 2010 – has contributed to the detection and treatment of more than 2.6 million people with TB. It has further prevented more than 13 million new infections.

Quotes

“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, infections from tuberculosis were declining. As we continue to deal with the secondary impacts of COVID-19, we are seeing the number of deaths caused by TB going back up across the world. This is a disease that we can do something about. This investment today will help find new ways of reaching those in need, so that they can get the care and treatment they need for this life-threatening disease.”

- Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada

Quick facts

  • According to the WHO:

    • 1.5 million people died from TB in 2020 (including 214,000 people with HIV), and an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB worldwide, including 1.2 million children.
    • TB is one of the top five killers in lower income countries among adult women aged 20 to 59 years. Globally, in 2020, an estimated 3.3 million women fell ill with TB and 501,600 women died from the disease.
    • Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, TB infections and TB-related deaths had been declining but are now on the increase.

  • Canada is the foundational and leading donor to TB REACH, leading support for its core programming since its inception. Launched in 2010, TB REACH is an initiative under the Stop TB Partnership which aims to reach more people with TB and revolutionize TB diagnosis and care.

Associated links

Contacts

Yentl Béliard-Joseph
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development
Yentl.Beliard-Joseph@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
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