In the Eastern Mediterranean region, a person is diagnosed with tuberculosis every 34 seconds, and every six minutes, another life is lost. The region carries around 8% of the world’s TB burden―a share that is growing due to conflict, undiagnosed cases, and drug-resistant strains.
In 2024, over half of the 22 countries and territories that make up WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region were affected by conflict, with nearly all facing disease outbreaks. TB spreads quickly in displacement camps, slums, and among people with weakened immune systems.
While Pakistan accounts for most cases in our region, countries like Afghanistan, Somalia, Morocco, and Sudan are also facing serious challenges.
Reasons for spread
Drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is becoming more common, making the disease harder to diagnose and treat. This MDR-TB requires complex, long-term care, and many health workers are not trained to manage it.
Across the region, three out of ten cases go undiagnosed and untreated, which contributes to the spread of the disease. Rapid molecular tests, which are essential for detecting drug resistance, are not widely available, and their use is sub-optimal due to financial and supply chain issues. Most countries still rely on older, less accurate methods.
