Tuberculosis deaths have fallen by 3 percent to 1.23 million people in 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

In its annual TB report published on Wednesday, the United Nations health agency also revealed that overall cases of the disease had dropped by almost 2 percent since 2023.

It marked the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that TB cases and deaths had declined.

In 2024, a record 8.3 million people accessed TB treatment after being newly diagnosed while treatment success rates rose from 68 to 71 percent, the WHO said.

However, the health agency warned that recent progress in tackling the disease was under threat due to a shortfall in aid. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it could “reverse the hard won gains”.

Last year, $5.9bn was available for prevention,

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