ASEAN’s Critical Moment: Advancing a Unified Response to TB in 2025

ASEAN4TB, 2025 — The Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 reveals a world standing at a critical crossroads. TB remains the leading infectious killer, claiming 1.23 million lives in 2024 and infecting 10.7 million people, with Asia carrying the heaviest burden. Two ASEAN members—Indonesia and the Philippines—are among the world’s top contributors to TB incidence, reminding the region that the path toward ending TB is inseparable from the health of Southeast Asia.

While the global TB response shows tentative recovery from the COVID-19 setback, the pace is far too slow to meet the 2030 End TB targets. In ASEAN, challenges persist: gaps in early diagnosis, uneven access to treatment, and lingering socio-economic barriers continue to hinder progress. The threat of drug-resistant TB looms large, with fewer than half of affected individuals worldwide accessing the care they need—an alarming reminder of vulnerabilities that cut across borders.

Yet the 2025 report also brings renewed hope. A wave of scientific breakthroughs is reshaping what is possible: 18 vaccine candidates, including six in Phase III trials, coupled with AI-powered screening, rapid molecular tests, and shorter treatment regimens. These innovations represent an unprecedented opportunity for ASEAN nations to accelerate impact—if countries can mobilize the political will and resources to deploy them equitably.

This is where regional collaboration becomes transformative. Initiatives like ASEAN4TB are emerging as catalysts for shared research, harmonized policies, and coordinated action across Southeast Asia. As international TB funding contracts and domestic leadership becomes indispensable, ASEAN stands before a defining moment: unite, innovate, and invest—or risk losing the hard-won progress toward a future free of tuberculosis.

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