American Thoracic Society news release
The impacts of TB are usually discussed in terms of public health and human suffering. New research presented at the 2026 American Thoracic Society International Conference shows that TB is also driving a massive global economic crisis.
Researchers found that TB wipes out an estimated 0.8 percent of the world’s total economic potential every year. This burden is not distributed equally, with losses concentrated overwhelmingly in low- and middle-income countries, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The findings demonstrate that investments in public health programs to control TB don’t just save lives but also protect economic stability and productivity.
In 2023 alone, TB was associated with an estimated $1.35 trillion in lost welfare globally. Just 22 countries represented 80 percent of this total burden.
Read the full news release here.
SEE ALSO:
- Healio: ‘It’s a macroeconomic hemorrhage’: Global economic burden of TB in 2023
- Bioengineering: New study reveals the massive economic impact of TB
For more TB updates, check out the TB CAB Weekly Newsletter (Issue #16, 31 May 2026).
The newsletter is brought to you by the Global TB Community Advisory Board (TB CAB) with the support of Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG). Subscribe to the newsletter here.
Source : American Thoracic Society
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