Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Each year, an estimated ten million people fall ill with TB, and 1.5 million die.1 In September 2018, the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) on TB not only increased awareness of the disease, but set the parameters for the next stage of the fight against it. At this meeting, Heads of State committed to ambitious targets, including enrolling 30 million people on TB-preventive therapy (TPT) by 2022, with a focus on countries with the highest burden of the disease.
As the U.S. Government’s lead Agency on global TB efforts, USAID works with agencies and partners around the world to reach every person with TB, cure those in need of treatment, prevent the spread of new infections, and stop the progression to active disease. Launched at the 2018 UNHLM, USAID’s Global Accelerator to End TB increases commitment from, and builds the capacity of, governments, civil society, and the private sector to accelerate national progress in reaching the global targets. The Accelerator focuses on countries with high burdens of TB where the Agency can align with local communities and partners to deliver results. To ensure the Accelerator’s effectiveness and increased transparency, USAID uses standardized data-collection and performance-based indicators that align with the targets.
USAID funds bilateral programs in 23 priority countries, and provides limited technical assistance in 32 additional ones. Of the 30 million people who comprise the UNHLM’s prevention target, approximately 75 percent live in USAID’s priority countries.
