There is a silent epidemic that continues to claim lives while the world looks away. It is tuberculosis, a lethal infectious disease that kills more than a million people every year. Despite the availability of effective treatments, prevention and treatment systems are collapsing under the weight of political decisions that have drastically reduced international funding.
The Trump administration, with its foreign aid review policy, which blocked funds allocated to fighting tuberculosis in numerous countries, including Kenya, one of the hardest-hit, is also contributing to this disaster. The United States covered much of the expenses for diagnosing and treating the infection, funding laboratories, sample transportation, and distribution of lifesaving drugs. With the funding interruption, the system has come to an abrupt halt.
In the centers, testing has been suspended due to a lack of materials and staff. The couriers who used to transport samples from remote villages to diagnostic centers have lost their jobs, interrupting a crucial process for identifying new cases. Without testing, patients cannot begin treatment. Even those already on therapy risk having to abandon their treatment, increasing the likelihood of developing drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis.
The consequences of this crisis are already evident in the most affected communities. Patients, left without medicine, rapidly deteriorate and unknowingly spread the disease to family members and neighbors. In the poorest cities, where many people live in cramped spaces, the contagion is even faster: overcrowded rooms, shared beds, and the absence of care create fertile ground for the disease to spread.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily affects the lungs but can also attack other organs. It is transmitted through the air, via saliva droplets released by an infected person when coughing, sneezing, or speaking. In many cases, the bacterium can remain dormant for years without causing symptoms, referred to as latent TB. This condition is not contagious but can be potentially dangerous if the immune system weakens. When the infection becomes active, it develops into active TB, characterized by symptoms such as persistent cough, fever, weight loss, and night sweats. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal. Although it is treatable with antibiotics, the treatment is lengthy, and the improper use of medications has contributed to the spread of resistant strains, making the battle even more complex.
Evaline Kibuchi, the coordinator of the Stop TB program in Kenya, said: “We knew that without funding, the system would collapse within months, but now we are facing a global disaster.” Her words are confirmed by the stories of patients: adults too weak to work, children with persistent cough and fever, families forced to choose between paying for a diagnostic test or buying food to survive.
In the face of the failure of the official system, local volunteers are trying to fill the gap with their own resources. They are collecting funds from friends and neighbors to procure what is needed. But the reality is that, without structural support, their efforts are likely to be insufficient. The cost of tests is too high, and the lack of medical personnel makes managing the most severe cases difficult.
This emergency demands that international health institutions and local governments act quickly to fill the void left by the funding cuts. Some non-governmental organizations are trying to raise aid to restart the suspended programs, but without stable and long-term commitment, the risk is that tuberculosis will spread uncontrollably again.
In the meantime, communities continue to struggle with the resources they have, knowing that time is not on their side. Every day without treatment means more patients, new outbreaks, and more broken lives.
