WHO urges faster TB diagnosis with new tools

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on countries to accelerate efforts to end tuberculosis (TB) by expanding access to new diagnostic innovations, including portable tests that can be used near the point of care and tongue swabs that can detect the disease faster.

New WHO guidelines on near-point-of-care TB tests mark a step toward faster detection and treatment of one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.

The portable, simple-to-use tests bring TB diagnosis closer to where people routinely seek care, are available at less than half the cost of many existing molecular diagnostics, can operate on battery power, and deliver results in less than one hour.

“These new tools could be truly transformative for tuberculosis, by bringing fast, accurate diagnosis closer to people, saving lives, curbing transmission and reducing costs,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “WHO calls on all countries to scale up access to these and other tools so every person with TB can be reached and treated promptly.”

Beyond TB, the devices have the potential to test for other diseases such as HIV, mpox, and HPV, making diagnostics more patient-centered, equitable, and aligned with one-stop-shop style services for emerging and circulating diseases.

The guidelines also recommend easy-to-collect tongue swab samples and a cost-saving sputum pooling strategy to increase testing efficiency for TB and rifampicin-resistant TB.

Tongue swabs allow adults and adolescents who cannot produce sputum to receive TB testing for the first time, enabling disease detection among people at increased risk of dying from TB.

Sputum pooling, where samples from several individuals are combined and tested together, can significantly reduce commodity costs and machine time, leading to faster results — an approach specifically recommended when resources are exceptionally constrained.

TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers. Each day, over 3,300 people die from TB, and more than 29,000 people fall ill with the preventable and curable disease.

Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 83 million lives since 2000, but cuts in global health funding are threatening to reverse these gains.

Uptake of rapid diagnostic tools has been a challenge in many countries due in part to high costs and reliance on sample transport to centralized laboratories.

On World TB Day 2026, under the theme “Yes! We can end TB: Led by countries, powered by people,” WHO called for urgent action to accelerate the rollout of near-point-of-care diagnostic technologies, strengthen people-centered TB care with meaningful community leadership, build resilient health systems, tackle the social and economic drivers of TB through multisectoral action, and protect essential TB services amid global crises and funding constraints.

“Investing in TB is a strategic political and economic choice, generating up to USD 43 in health and economic returns for every dollar spent,” said Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

“What is required now is decisive leadership, strategic investment and rapid implementation of WHO recommendations and innovations to save lives and protect communities.”

Global funding for TB research remains far below the estimated annual need of around USD 5 billion, leaving major gaps in the development of new diagnostics, medicines, and vaccines needed to end the epidemic.

WHO is working with partners to accelerate progress through initiatives such as the TB Vaccine Accelerator Council, launched to fast-track the development and equitable access to new TB vaccines by aligning governments, researchers, funders, and industry around shared priorities and coordinated investment.