World TB Day: Experts Warn Drug-Resistant TB Still Derailing Global Fight
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Even with years of scientific progress, drug-resistant tuberculosis remains one of the clearest signs that the global response to infectious disease is still falling dangerously short.
Ahead of World TB Day on 24 March, the Global AMR Media Alliance and its partners have raised concern over the stubborn spread of drug-resistant TB, warning that the world cannot hope to end tuberculosis by 2030 without urgently tackling misuse, underuse and overuse of TB medicines.
Chairperson of the alliance, Shobha Shukla, said the world has failed to significantly reduce the burden of drug-resistant TB over the years, despite having the evidence and tools needed to act.
She noted that upper-end estimates stood at about 400,000 drug-resistant TB cases globally in 2000, and that a similar figure was still being recorded in 2024.
According to her, this shows a major gap in prevention, diagnosis, infection control and treatment adherence, all of which continue to allow TB bacteria to develop resistance.
The concern is even more troubling for women, who experts say often face stigma, delayed diagnosis and poor access to care. Bhakti Chavan, a survivor of extensively drug-resistant TB, said many women living with TB hide their illness for fear of shame, rejection or damage to marriage prospects.
As a result, some avoid testing, take medicines in secret or stop treatment too early.
Former WHO Chief Scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, also linked the rise in resistant infections to social realities such as violence against women, weak healthcare access and incomplete treatment.
She argued that efforts to end TB must go beyond drugs and diagnostics to include stronger support systems that help women seek care early and stay on treatment.
The alliance is calling for gender-responsive national action plans on antimicrobial resistance and renewed urgency in the global TB response, insisting that zero preventable drug-resistant TB must become a serious public health target if the world is to meet its 2030 goal.
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