
The Treatment Action Group (TAG) and Stop TB Partnership recently published their 2024 Report on TB Research Funding Trends. The report highlights that funding for tuberculosis (TB) research and development (R&D) in 2023 reached its highest level ever: $1.2 billion. Despite this increase, this represents only 24% of the annual $5 billion funding target agreed by countries at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB in September 2023.
Only two countries – South Africa and India – were able to meet, and surpass, their fair share targets in 2023.
France and EU are among main donors but contributing only 23% and 30% of their fair share
France only provided $35,27 million to TB R&D – 23% of its fair share of $115,42 million. France was ranked as the fifth country contributing the most to TB R&D. TAG also calculated the fair share for the European Union (EU + EU Member States), who collectively should contribute $706,09 million to TB R&D, but in 2023 only provided 28% of their fair share.
The report also notes that public funding for TB R&D in the past years has been increasing in absolute terms but the proportion of total TB R&D by the sector has declined from 66% in 2022 to 62% in 2023. That is because philanthropies have increased their contributions by almost 50% from 2022 to 2023. While we welcome the increased funding by philanthropies, we highlight the risk this trend can pose regarding ownership and accountability, as the innovation agenda should be owned by and accountable to the public.
Furthermore, the report recognises that TB R&D funding is highly reliable on a few selected funders: two donors alone – the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the US National Institute of Health – provided 53% of all funding towards TB R&D in 2023. Heavily relying on a limited number of important funders could present a threat to the sustainability and reliability of TB research funding.
As Hester Kuipers, Executive Director, IAVI Europe, highlights: “The progress towards a fully funded TB R&D pipeline is well off-target, with most countries not fulfilling their promises, which is a major concern. With TB being the single most deadly pathogen and a major contributor to the burden of drug-resistant infections, we cannot afford to slow down the development of essential new interventions. Look at TB vaccines R&D: there is unprecedented potential in the pipeline, with prospects for new vaccines for the first time since the introduction of BCG over 100 years ago. Yet, there is chronic dependency on a handful of funding sources barely covering 1/5 of the estimated financial needs, which unless resolved, will hamper efforts to bring vaccines over the finish line and into the hands of people that need them most. Governments, including from most affected countries, and other funders must urgently step up to close the funding gaps and seize the opportunity to save millions of lives, livelihoods, and monies”.
TB is the leading cause of death by an infectious agent in the world. Every year, over 10 million people fall ill with TB, resulting in over 1 million deaths. Inadequate funding for TB R&D delays the delivery of urgently needed tools to combat TB, including new vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics. None of these research areas is currently receiving sufficient funding, and meeting their annual targets: drugs funding is only at 21% of its target, vaccines at 18%, diagnostics at 17%, and basic science at 20%.
With the 2030 deadline for ending TB very close on the horizon, the window of opportunity to end the epidemic in this decade is closing.
Therefore, Global Health Advocates calls on the EU and its Member States to rise to the challenge and meet their fair share contribution to TB R&D.