Health: More funding to beat tuberculosis

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on governments to make efforts to find adequate financial resources to end tuberculosis.

During the celebration of World Tuberculosis Day, this Monday, March 24, 2025 in Kayonza, the Director of Health Systems Policy at WHO in Rwanda, Dr. Theopista John Kabuteni, said that tuberculosis cannot be defeated without consistent funding.

She took this opportunity to call on governments to mobilize adequate financial resources to end tuberculosis.

“TB cannot be defeated without adequate funding. We need a bold and diverse approach to funding innovation, closing gaps in TB prevention, treatment, and care, and advancing research and innovation,” said Dr. Kabuteni. “This requires countries to recommit by strengthening national strategies, investing, and increasing domestic funding for TB programs,” she added.

Tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death in Africa. Dr. Theopista John Kabuteni

Dr. Theopista John Kabuteni said tuberculosis is the second leading cause of death in Africa. It disproportionately affects low-income communities, HIV-positive people, and marginalized groups. She said this makes it a disease of poverty and inequality.

Tuberculosis incidence down

Rwanda has made impressive progress in the fight against tuberculosis. The incidence of the disease has declined from 96 cases per 100,000 population in 2000 to 55 cases per 100,000 population in 2023, according to the 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report. Rwanda now has the lowest tuberculosis incidence in the East African region.

Dr. Theopista John Kabuteni took this opportunity to congratulate the Rwandan government for the progress made in the health sector, particularly in the fight against tuberculosis.

Rwanda has made significant efforts to conduct tuberculosis awareness campaigns. Patrick Migambi

According to the WHO’s director of health systems policy, Rwanda has made considerable efforts thanks to political will and the decentralization of services to the national level. Rwanda is contributing to the overall success of the fight against tuberculosis by reducing the incidence of this disease.

Patrick Migambi, acting director of the Disease Prevention and Treatment Department at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), said Rwanda has made significant efforts to conduct tuberculosis awareness campaigns by empowering the country’s health facilities to diagnose tuberculosis early and provide better treatment. He urged the Rwandan population to seek medical attention if they experience signs of the disease.

He also thanked the community health workers in Kayonza District for their performance in the fight against tuberculosis. Currently, 30 percent of cases treated are the result of the work of community health workers. It is in this context that the community health workers in Kayonza District were rewarded.