Ending tuberculosis

A Backbench Business Committee debate on Ending tuberculosis will take place in the Commons chamber on 7 June 2018. The debate will be led by Nick Herbert and Virendra Sharma.

The motion for the debate is:

That this House recognises that Tuberculosis (TB) remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing 1.7 million people a year; notes that at the current rate of progress, the world will not reach the Sustainable Development Goal target of ending TB by 2030 for another 160 years; believes that without a major change of pace 28 million people will die needlessly before 2030 at a global economic cost of £700 billion; welcomes the forthcoming UN high-level meeting on TB in New York on 26 September as an unprecedented opportunity to turn the tide against this terrible disease; further notes that the UN General Assembly Resolution encourages all member states to participate in the high-level meeting at the highest possible level, preferably at the level of heads of state and government; and calls on the Government to renew its efforts in the global fight against TB, boost research into new drugs, diagnostics and a vaccine, and for the Prime Minister to attend the UN high-level meeting

TB is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide. Whilst international action is reducing the mortality and incidence of TB, leading health organisations such as the World Health Organisation have expressed concerns that more investment and action is needed to meet the milestones of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the WHO End TB strategy targets. These include a reduction in the incidence of TB by 50% by 2025, and 90% by 2035 (compared with 2015).

A UN High Level meeting is scheduled for September 2018 on the theme “United to end tuberculosis: an urgent global response to a global epidemic.” An April 2018 letter signed by 100 MPs and Peers has called on the Prime Minister to attend the high level meeting.