Health ministers from Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, and South Africa call for domestic financing and innovative funding models to close the gap in the global fight against tuberculosis.
In a joint opinion published by Devex, the health ministers of Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, and South Africa argue that ending tuberculosis (TB) is no longer a technical challenge but a financing one. Together, their nations account for a quarter of global TB cases. They emphasise that traditional donor funding is declining, urging countries to take ownership by increasing domestic investment and creating innovative, resilient financing systems.
The ministers propose concrete steps — including expanding universal health coverage to fully include TB care, taxing unhealthy products to fund health services, leveraging development bank loans, and exploring debt-for-health swaps. They also highlight opportunities in private-sector engagement and climate finance to address TB’s social and environmental determinants.
With TB still killing 1.25 million people annually — more than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined — the ministers stress that closing the $16 billion funding gap is both a moral and economic imperative. Each dollar spent on TB, they note, yields up to $46 in economic returns through lives saved and productivity restored.
