Global Programme on Tuberculosis & Lung Health
The WHO Global Programme on Tuberculosis & Lung Health works towards the goal of a world free of TB, with zero deaths, disease and suffering due to the disease. The team’s mission is to lead and guide the global effort to end the TB epidemic through universal access to people-centred prevention and care, multisectoral action and innovation.

Gender

Globally men are significantly more at risk of contracting and dying from TB than women. In 2017 close to 6 million adult men contracted TB and around 840,000 died from it. This compares with an estimated 3.2 million adult women who fell ill and almost half a million who died from TB. TB can however have particularly severe consequences for women, especially during their reproductive years and during pregnancy. Maternal and child health services present a strategic entry point for increasing access to TB services, for both women and their families.

Publications

The WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme is in the process of developing a guidance on ethics, equity, human rights and gender, which will provide more comprehensive information on TB and gender.