Development of the WHO post-2030 tuberculosis strategy

An inclusive, evidence-based process to shape the future global response to tuberculosis beyond 2030

Overview

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading infectious causes of death worldwide, with millions of people developing disease each year despite the availability of effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Although the WHO End TB Strategy has provided a global framework for action since 2014, progress has been uneven and insufficient to achieve global targets. Persistent inequities in access to services, the ongoing burden of drug-resistant TB, financing gaps, and changing demographic, social, economic and health system contexts continue to challenge efforts to end TB.

In May 2026, the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly requested the Director-General to develop a WHO post-2030 tuberculosis strategy to help define the next phase of the global TB response, in consultation with Member States and relevant stakeholders. The strategy is expected to guide WHO’s support to Member States, align with broader frameworks including primary health care, universal health coverage and global health security, and take account of changes in the international public health architecture. Work will commence in 2026, with the strategy to be presented for consideration by the World Health Assembly in 2028.

Why is a new Strategy needed?

The WHO End TB Strategy is the current global framework for the TB response. Adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2014, it sets out the global vision, goal, targets and strategic approaches for ending the TB epidemic, with milestones through 2030 and targets extending to 2035. As the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals approaches, there is an opportunity to reflect on progress, address emerging gaps and define the next phase of the global TB response.

The scientific, programmatic, and global health context has evolved since the END TB Strategy was adopted. Advances in diagnostics, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, shorter and more effective treatment regimens, TB preventive treatment and community-based models of care are creating new opportunities to strengthen the TB response. The prospect of a new TB vaccine before 2030 could further influence the future trajectory of the epidemic. At the same time, the broader global health architecture is evolving, with increasing emphasis on primary health care, universal health coverage, antimicrobial resistance and health-system resilience. The post-2030 TB Strategy will need to reflect these shifts and identify where alignment with broader health agendas can strengthen the TB response, while maintaining a clear focus on TB-specific priorities, outcomes and accountability. 

Lessons learned have also reinforced that responding to TB requires action beyond the health sector, addressing the broader social and economic determinants that shape TB risk and outcomes through coordinated, multisectoral approaches. The post-2030 TB Strategy will therefore need to respond to these developments and build on lessons learned to achieve substantial and sustained reductions in TB burden, while remaining firmly anchored in the enduring vision of a world free from TB.

In this context, the post-2030 TB Strategy aims to:

• assess progress and lessons learned from implementing the End TB Strategy;
• respond to emerging challenges and opportunities;
• incorporate novel scientific and technological advances;
• strengthen equitable, people-centred approaches;
• align with current global health and development priorities and architecture; and
• establish a shared vision, goal, targets and approaches for addressing TB beyond 2030.

How is the Strategy being developed?

WHO is leading an inclusive, evidence-informed and Member State-driven process involving governments, national TB programmes, communities affected by TB, civil society, technical experts, researchers, financing and development partners, and other stakeholders.

The process will combine evidence reviews and technical analysis with global and regional consultations. Findings from these activities will inform the development of the strategy, including its vision, goal, principles, strategic areas, targets and approaches. The WHO Secretariat will prepare a draft strategy based on this work and undertake formal consultations with Member States before submission to WHO’s governing bodies.

Timeline

The strategy will be developed through a series of technical preparations, consultations and formal intergovernmental processes between 2026 and 2028.

• Phase 1: Evidence review and global stakeholder consultations (2026): During 2026, the emphasis will be on technical preparation and inclusive consultations with national TB programmes, civil society and affected communities, scientists, WHO regional offices, technical and financial partners, and other stakeholders. The September 2026 meeting of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Tuberculosis, HIV, Hepatitis and STIs will provide an early opportunity for technical guidance.
  • Technical preparation: To support the consultation, the WHO Secretariat will conduct reviews of progress under the End TB Strategy, assessments of epidemiological trends, analyses of innovations, and reflections on lessons learned from the current TB response at country, regional and global levels.  Initial proposals concerning the vision, goal, principles, pillars and theory of change will provide a basis for discussion. The development of indicators and targets will proceed in parallel.
  • Global stakeholder consultations: The WHO Secretariat will facilitate consultations with stakeholders, inter alia, national TB programme managers, civil society, communities affected by TB, technical experts, researchers, WHO regional and country offices, and financing and development partners.
• Phase 2: Intergovernmental consultations (Q1–Q2 2027):  During the second phase, the WHO Secretariat will facilitate formal consultations with Member States on the draft strategy. Regional consultations will also contribute to the further refinement of the draft, ensuring that the proposed strategic framework reflects diverse epidemiological, health-system and implementation contexts. 
• Phase 3: Consideration by Regional Committees and Governing Bodies (Q3 2027–Q2 2028): The draft strategy will be reviewed sequentially by WHO regional committees (August-November 2027), the Executive Board (February 2028), and the Eighty-first World Health Assembly (May 2028) for possible endorsement, following their established constitutional meeting schedules.