Since its inception in 1920, The Union has had a focus on tuberculosis (TB) and innovating TB care.
We have now set out our 2022-2027 vision, objectives and strategy for ending TB. This can only be achieved collectively, with our members, partners and TB community – everyone has a role to play.
Together, we can bring an end to TB.
Our work in TB
The Union works towards the global elimination of TB. We support high-quality, accessible prevention and care for people with and at risk of TB, to expand the evidence base for TB care and prevention and implement new knowledge into policy and practice.
Project Axshya
In collaboration with local partners and over 15,000 community volunteers, The Union provided innovative tuberculosis (TB) interventions designed to serve traditionally hard-to-reach and at-risk populations in India.
Specific TB priority areas
Read more about how The Union is working to fight key areas of TB:
Child & Adolescent Tuberculosis
The Union works to develop, test, implement and scale up routine screening of child contacts of people with TB. We run observational studies and advocate to ensure children and adolescents are included in clinical trials that target diagnostics, vaccines and treatment of TB disease and infection.
TB-HIV, TB-Diabetes and other co-morbidities
The Union develops, tests, implements and scales up models of care for co-morbid conditions that increase the risk of developing TB, that are prevalent in high TB burden settings, or that adversely affect TB treatment outcomes.
The Zoonotic TB Sub-section was instrumental in the creation of the first-ever Roadmap for Zoonotic TB, a policy document that addressed the major health and economic impacts of the disease, created in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
Members work together to influence global policy and practice, ensuring their work has a greater global impact.
Understand the issues with our factsheets
Tuberculosis Union news
Her Imperial Highness The Crown Princess of Japan shares message of support on World TB Day
At a time when all of us are facing a great challenge with respect to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, I would like to express…
Forum of International Respiratory Societies calls to advance prevention as critical strategy to end TB
Tuesday 24 March 2020 marks 138 years since Dr Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way…
World TB Day statement on CEPHEID rapid testing for COVID-19
On World TB Day, The Union issued a statement regarding CEPHEID rapid testing for COVID-19, designed to operate on any of Cepheid's more…
COVID-19 in focus on World TB Day: The Union stands in solidarity and with resilience in the fight against two airborne diseases - TB and COVID-19
Ahead of World TB Day tomorrow, The Union announced that a multi-stakeholder approach to infectious disease control based on a…
Impact of COVID-19 on tuberculosis control in China
Originally available as a preprint, this article was subsequently published in the May 2020 issue of the IJTLD.
Read the full…
“World TB Day reminds me that through our individual commitments, collectively, we can eradicate TB.”
Dr Jeremiah Chakaya Muhwa, immediate past-President of The Union (2016-2019), remains personally dedicated to the common goal…
TB Publications
Until recently, the focus has been on finding and treating people with TB. But now bold targets for TB prevention have been outlined in the recent UN High-Level Meeting on TB. The Union develops, tests, implements and scales up models of care to increase the uptake and completion of TB preventive treatments in key high risk groups including children under 5 and people living with HIV.
'Prevent Tuberculosis: Management of TB Infection' is a free course which improves knowledge of all aspects of the management of TB infection including the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis with the specific aim of increasing country-level implementation of TB prevention among i) household contact of people affected by TB, especially those under five years of age, ii) persons with risk factors to develop TB, and iii) people living with HIV in care.