Read about the featured topic on TB and gender in the newly released WHO Global TB report 2025.
This feature was prepared by Nimalan Arinaminpathy, Mathieu Bastard from WHO, Professor Bertie Squire, Dr Kerry Millington, and Dr Katherine Horton from the LIGHT Consortium.
It highlights how tuberculosis (TB) affects people of all genders, but disproportionately affects adult men, who face higher risk, greater barriers to diagnosis and care, and worse treatment outcomes – with knock-on effects on women, children and people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). It explains the biological, social and structural drivers behind these gender disparities, and shows how disaggregated data, targeted interventions (such as male-friendly services and workplace screening) and gender mainstreaming can close these gaps. Overall, the feature emphasises that gender-responsive TB prevention and care is essential to achieving equitable health outcomes and ending TB for all.