SADC Report: Progress in TB fight marred by funding cuts and regional crisis

Staff Reporter

THE 2025 SADC Annual TB Progress Report reveals that while Southern Africa has achieved a 26% reduction in tuberculosis (TB) incidence since 2016, the region remains the global epicentre of the disease, accounting for 55% of all notifications in the WHO Africa Region. Despite significant strides in mortality reduction and the rollout of innovative cross-border digital health systems, the report warns that progress is plateauing and 2030 elimination targets are at risk without a drastic acceleration of efforts. Key challenges include a disproportionate burden among men, high incidence in the mining sector, and a “global funding shock” that threatens to derail decades of health gains.

In 2024, TB likely reclaimed its position as the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, causing nearly twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS. The SADC region—comprising 16 Member States—bears a staggering share of this burden, hosting eight of the world’s 30 highest TB-burden countries. While the regional incidence has dropped to 258 cases per 100,000 people, it remains far above the global average of 134.