World TB Day: WHO Unveils New Diagnostic Tools To Accelerate Endgame

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended point-of-care tests and tongue swabs to fast-track detection and treatment of Tuberculosis (TB).

WHO said the new guidelines is another step towards faster detection and treatment of one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, adding that the portable, simple-to-use tests bring TB diagnosis closer to where people routinely seek care.

Disclosing this on X, WHO said the tools are available at less than half the cost of many existing molecular diagnostics, and that they can help countries expand access to testing. It also noted that the tests can operate on battery power and deliver results in less than one hour, allowing patients to start treatment sooner.

“These new tools could be truly transformative for tuberculosis, by bringing fast, accurate diagnosis closer to people, saving lives, curbing transmission and reducing costs,” said WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus.

He further urged all countries to scale up access to these and other tools so every person with TB can be reached and treated promptly.

According to him, beyond TB, these devices have the potential to test for other diseases like HIV, mpox, and HPV, making diagnostics more patient-centered, equitable, and aligned with one-stop-shop style services for emerging and circulating diseases.

WHO further noted that the guidelines also recommend easy-to-collect tongue swab samples, as well as a cost-saving sputum pooling strategy to increase testing efficiency for TB and rifampicin-resistant TB.

It explained that tongue swabs allow adults and adolescents who cannot produce sputum to receive TB testing for the first time, enabling disease detection among people who are at an increased risk of dying from TB. It also pointed out that sputum pooling, where samples from several individuals are combined and tested together, can significantly reduce commodity costs and machine time, leading to faster results for people and TB programmes, which is an approach specifically recommended when resources are exceptionally constrained.

WHO noted that TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers, stressing that each day, over 3300 people die from TB and more than 29 000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.

According to WHO, the global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 83 million lives since 2000, although cuts in global health funding are threatening to reverse these gains.

It also lamented that uptake of rapid diagnostic tools has been a challenge in many countries due to high costs and reliance on sample transport to support testing at centralized laboratories.

The global health body On World TB Day 2026, under the theme “Yes! We can end TB: Led by countries, powered by people”, called for urgent action to accelerate the roll out of diagnostic technologies that can be used near the point-of-care and other innovations as part of a comprehensive testing network.

The Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Dr Tereza Kasaeva, commended the development saying, “Investing in TB is a strategic political and economic choice, generating up to US$ 43 in health and economic returns for every dollar spent. What is required now is decisive leadership, strategic investment and rapid implementation of WHO recommendations and innovations to save lives and protect communities.”