World TB Day and PLOS Global Public Health
By Julia Robinson, Executive Editor, PLOS Global Public Health
Each year on March 24, World TB Day calls global attention to one of humanity’s oldest—and still deadliest—infectious diseases. In 2026, the World Health Organization rallies countries, communities, and partners under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB! Led by Countries, Powered by People.” This call to action emphasizes that while scientific innovation and global investment are essential, progress ultimately hinges on national leadership, sustained commitment, and the energy and resilience of affected communities. It is a reminder that ending tuberculosis is not only a scientific challenge but also a social, political, and human one.
In that spirit, this year we are spotlighting research that equips countries and communities with the evidence they need to act. At PLOS Global Public Health, we continue to see powerful contributions from researchers advancing TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and policy. In the next section, I’ll highlight recent TB studies published in the journal—work that expands our understanding of the epidemic, amplifies under‑represented voices, and supports the global mission to finally end TB (you can find a wide variety of TB-related research here).
In this study, Shoaib Hassan (University of Bergen; Yale School of Public Health), Mala Kanthali (R.D. Gardi Medical College, India), Manju Raj Purohit (R.D. Gardi Medical College; Karolinska Institute), and Tehmina Mustafa (University of Bergen; Haukeland University Hospital) assess the financial burden of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in India, finding that severe forms such as meningitis and pleuritis lead to extremely high out‑of‑pocket and indirect costs, with over 90% of meningitis and 80% of pleuritis patients facing catastrophic health expenditures. The authors show that up to 42% of patients were pushed below the poverty line, with the poorest households hit hardest, and note that even presumptive non‑TB patients incurred substantial diagnostic costs.
A deadly equation: The global toll of US TB funding cuts
In this analysis, Sandip Mandal (Center for Modeling and Analysis, Avenir Health, USA), Sreenivas Nair (Stop TB Partnership, Geneva), Suvanand Sahu (Stop TB Partnership, Geneva), Lucica Ditiu (Stop TB Partnership, Geneva), and Carel Pretorius (Center for Modeling and Analysis, Avenir Health, USA) examine the global consequences of recent U.S. cuts to international TB funding, modelling impacts across 26 high‑burden countries. Their projections show that the withdrawal of U.S. support—previously more than half of all external TB funding—could lead to 0.63 to 10.67 million additional TB cases and nearly 100,000 to over 2.2 million excess TB deaths between 2025 and 2030, depending on the severity of service disruption. The authors warn that these cuts threaten progress toward End TB and SDG targets, with the most severe impacts falling on countries heavily dependent on external support, and call for urgent alternative financing to maintain essential TB prevention and treatment programs. [journals.plos.org], [journals.plos.org]
Insights on the implementation strategies for a potential new tuberculosis vaccine in South Africa
In this study, Katherine A. Thomas (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Choice Okoro (Clinton Health Access Initiative), Thobani Ntshiqa (The Aurum Institute; University of the Witwatersrand), Verena Damovsky (Clinton Health Access Initiative), Deanne Goldberg (Clinton Health Access Initiative), Omphile Ramokhoase (Clinton Health Access Initiative), Rebecca A. Clark (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Waasila Jassat (University of the Witwatersrand; South Africa National Department of Health; Genesis Analytics), Gavin J. Churchyard (The Aurum Institute; University of the Witwatersrand; Vanderbilt University), Fareed Abdullah (South African Medical Research Council; University of Pretoria), Mmamapudi Kubjane (Wits Health Consortium), Janet Seeley (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; Africa Health Research Institute; University of KwaZulu-Natal), Salome Charalambous (The Aurum Institute), and Richard G. White (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) explore stakeholder perspectives on how a new TB vaccine could be introduced in South Africa, where several late‑stage vaccine candidates are in development. Through interviews with 26 experts, the authors find strong support for vaccine introduction due to South Africa’s high TB burden, but note that feasibility will depend on price, cost‑effectiveness, efficacy, regulatory alignment, and logistics. Stakeholders favored broad population vaccination—particularly adolescents and adults—while also prioritizing high‑risk groups such as people living with HIV, healthcare workers, and household contacts. The study highlights the likelihood of phased rollout in high‑burden areas, and emphasizes the need for advocacy, integrated service delivery, and robust modelling to ensure successful implementation as new TB vaccines potentially become available by 2030.
In this study, Anuj Mundra (National TB Elimination Programme, Maharashtra, India), Tarun Bhatnagar (ICMR–National Institute of Epidemiology, India), Mrinalini Das (ICMR–National Institute of Epidemiology, India), Sandeep Sangale (National TB Elimination Programme, Maharashtra), Hemant Patil (National TB Elimination Programme, Maharashtra), Abhishek Raut (All India Institute of Medical Sciences Nagpur), Aniruddha Kadu (National TB Elimination Programme, Maharashtra), Rameshwar J. Paradkar (National TB Elimination Programme, Maharashtra), Subodh S. Gupta (Sambodhi Research & Communications), and Bishan S. Garg (MGIMS Sevagram) analyse Maharashtra’s tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) care cascade using 2023 programme data. They find substantial losses at every stage: although 84% of people with pulmonary TB had contact tracing completed and 386,224 household contacts were screened, only 55% of eligible contacts were initiated on TPT, and recorded treatment completion was just 41%, with outcomes missing for more than half of those started on treatment. The study highlights weaker completion and documentation for the 6H regimen, contacts from the private sector, and contacts of clinically diagnosed cases, emphasizing the need for improved data systems, decentralized evaluation mechanisms, and strengthened supervision to close gaps in TPT delivery.
Perceptions of persons deprived of liberty regarding tuberculosis vaccine research
In this multicenter qualitative study, Mariana Cristina Campos Falleiros Pires (Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul), Yiran E. Liu (Stanford University), Everton Ferreira Lemos (State University of Mato Grosso do Sul), Liliane Ferreira da Silva (Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul), Mariana Garcia Croda (Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul), Monica Magalhães (Pensi Institute, São Paulo), Dhélio Batista Pereira, Mariana Pinheiro Alves Vasconcelos, Rosilene Ruffato, and Solana Monteiro Batista (Tropical Medicine Research Center, Porto Velho), Giselle Lima de Freitas (Federal University of Minas Gerais), Marcelo Cordeiro-Santos and Jair dos Santos Pinheiro (Tropical Medicine Foundation, Manaus), Giane Zupellari dos Santos-Melo (Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation), Lara B. O. Assis (Amazonas Health Surveillance Foundation), Lia Gonçalves Possuelo, Tiago Antonio Heringer, and Daiane Kist Back (University of Santa Cruz do Sul), Pauline Schwarzbold (Criminal Police of Rio Grande do Sul), Jason R. Andrews (Stanford University), Crhistinne Cavalheiro Maymone Gonçalves (Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul), and Julio Croda (Oswaldo Cruz Foundation) explore how persons deprived of liberty (PDL) in Brazil perceive tuberculosis vaccine research. Through focus groups conducted in seven prisons across four regions, the study finds that while participants generally hold positive views of vaccines and potential trial participation, their willingness is strongly shaped by past experiences with inadequate prison healthcare, concerns for family members’ TB risk, and the need for clear information, respect for autonomy, and institutional accountability. These insights highlight the ethical imperatives for designing transparent, rights‑respecting vaccine trials involving incarcerated populations.
A scoping review of patient-centred tuberculosis care interventions: Gaps and opportunities
In this scoping review, Hanlie Myburgh (Stellenbosch University; University of Amsterdam), Dzunisani Baloyi (Stellenbosch University), Marian Loveday (South African Medical Research Council; University of the Free State), Sue‑Ann Meehan (Stellenbosch University), Muhammad Osman (Stellenbosch University; University of Greenwich), Dillon Wademan (Stellenbosch University), Anneke Hesseling (Stellenbosch University), and Graeme Hoddinott (Stellenbosch University) map existing patient‑centred tuberculosis (TB) care interventions across published and grey literature spanning 2005–2020. Their review reveals that while patient‑centred care is a central pillar of the WHO’s End TB strategy, few practical examples exist, and most documented interventions focus narrowly on adherence, loss‑to‑follow‑up reduction, and treatment outcomes, primarily through education, psychosocial support, and socioeconomic assistance. The authors highlight major gaps—particularly in screening, diagnosis, and treatment initiation—and argue that true patient‑centred TB care requires holistic approaches that recognize the diverse needs and lived experiences of people affected by TB.
Looking forward…
As we mark World TB Day 2026, the path forward is clear: ending TB demands not only scientific progress but also the collective will of countries, communities, and individuals. The research community plays a vital role in this effort, generating evidence that informs national strategies, strengthens health systems, and amplifies the perspectives of those most affected. Your work, whether in epidemiology, clinical science, social science, policy, economics, implementation research, or community‑led inquiry, can help drive the equitable progress the WHO’s theme urges: “Yes! We Can End TB! Led by Countries, Powered by People.”
If you’re contributing to this mission through research, we warmly encourage you to submit your work to PLOS Global Public Health. As an interdisciplinary, equity‑focused, open‑access journal, PLOS Global Public Health is committed to elevating diverse knowledge, advancing methodological and regional representation, and ensuring that evidence is accessible to all who need it. By submitting your TB research, you join a global community of scholars working toward a fairer, healthier world and help ensure that the insights needed to end TB reach the decision‑makers, practitioners, and communities driving change.
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