Unified response is needed to tackle tuberculosis among refugees and migrants

Abstract

Tuberculosis is a preventable and curable disease that continues to devastate the most vulnerable, including migrant and refugee communities in the shadows of global crises According to the World Health Organization’s global tuberculosis report, TB is one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers, claiming 1.25 million lives (including 161 000 deaths among people with HIV) and causing 10.8 million people to become ill in 2023.1 Refugees, migrants, and other displaced people are disproportionately vulnerable to tuberculosis, facing compounded risks such as inadequate healthcare, unsafe living conditions, and legal and social barriers.2 Only through unified and decisive action can we prevent further ill health and loss of life from TB. Globally, around a billion people—equivalent to one in every eight people—have experienced migration or forced displacement.345 Although not all refugees and migrants are vulnerable, the scale of the vulnerable population is staggering. For example, in the first half of 2024, over 120 million people had been forcibly displaced because of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations and other disruptive events. This includes 46 million refugees and other people in need …