On this World TB Day,

we reaffirm our commitment to a world free of tuberculosis, where no one faces barriers to diagnosis, treatment, dignity, or care. As a global platform bringing together communities, civil society organisations, and partners across countries, we stand in solidarity with people affected by TB and call for a response that is community-led, equitable, and accountable.

Tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease today, despite being preventable and curable. Beyond the biomedical challenge, TB is driven by stigma, discrimination, and entrenched systemic inequities. These include economic marginalization and racialized exclusion, but also deeply rooted gender inequalities that delay diagnosis, disrupt treatment, and isolate people socially and economically. Stigma is not a side issue; it is a structural barrier that undermines health outcomes and weakens the overall TB response.

Communities must lead the TB response. Yet globally, the space for community participation in policy, financing, and implementation is shrinking. This space must be reclaimed and backed by sustainable, direct funding for community-led organisations, not merely participation in dialogue spaces. Community leadership must be recognised as expertise and resourced accordingly. It is essential to designing effective programmes, ensuring accountability, and building trust between health systems and the people they serve.

We call for early and equitable access to diagnostics and treatment for affected communities, free from bureaucratic and implementation barriers. We urge country programmes, national leadership, and partners to ensure access translates from policy into practice.

We also demand the formal acknowledgement of TB Champions as a critical health workforce that must be meaningfully engaged and integrated into the national response. While new diagnostic tools continue to emerge, the challenge is not only innovation, but how effectively it is delivered.