Copenhagen: World Health Organization (WHO) Europe Director Hans Kluge on Monday called for intensified global efforts to eliminate tuberculosis (TB), warning that the disease continues to kill one million people every year and is being driven by systemic inequalities and chronic underfunding. In an address at the Union World Conference on Lung Health, Kluge said TB remains the world's deadliest infectious disease and urged governments and donors to mobilize greater resources to ensure 'financial shortfalls never determine the fate of millions.'

According to Anadolu Agency, Kluge emphasized that challenges such as drug resistance, TB-HIV co-infection, inequitable access to care, and underfunding are exacerbating the crisis. He highlighted recent advances in shorter, safer treatment regimens and rapid diagnostic tools, advocating for these innovations to be scaled up to reach vulnerable populations.

Kluge stressed that WHO Europe will push for 'bold advocacy, relentless pursuit of health equity, and creative resource mobilization' to ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against TB. He paid tribute to author and health advocate John Green, who joined him on stage. Green's book, "Everything Is Tuberculosis," underscores that TB persists 'not only because of a bacterium, but because of human choices and systemic injustice,' Kluge noted.

Kluge urged the global health community to 'make the right choice and end TB for good,' calling on countries to strengthen surveillance, expand access to treatment, and address the social determinants that fuel the spread of the disease.