The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England’s joint Tuberculosis (TB): action plan for England, 2021 to 2026, outlines outcomes and indicators to achieve a 90% reduction in people with TB by 2035, aligned with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) elimination targets. The plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-tb-action-plan-for-england/tuberculosis-tb-action-plan-for-england-2021-to-2026

Like many other countries who have seen a reverse in the decline in TB incidence following the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, England is not on course to achieve its WHO elimination targets.

Provisional data show that 5,424 people, at an incidence rate of 9.25 per 100,000, were notified with TB disease in 2025. This is well below the peak in this century, at 15.6 per 100,000, in 2011. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tuberculosis-in-england-national-quarterly-reports/national-quarterly-report-of-tuberculosis-in-england-quarter-4-2025-provisional-data

In England, TB rates are highest in urban areas. The UKHSA London region has the highest incidence, at 20.6 per 100,000 in 2024. This is a decrease of over 50% from 2011, at 42.6 per 100,000. However, current rates are above elimination targets, and 26 of the 32 boroughs continue to have a TB rate above the low incidence threshold of 10 per 100,000, with further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-tb-regional-reports-2024/london-tuberculosis-in-2024

TB continues to be strongly associated with inequalities. 71% of all people with TB lived in the four most deprived deciles of London in 2024.

TB control activities in London have been overseen by a TB control board (TBCB) since 2013. This is led by the UKHSA and works collaboratively with the National Health Service, and local authority and third sector stakeholders. Priorities for the TBCB are currently early diagnosis, treatment completion, and contact tracing. TB cohort reviews to identify and address issues and gaps in care pathways are undertaken in all London areas.

The borough of Newham had the highest rate of TB in London in 2024, at 43.8 per 100,000. However, there has been a decrease of over 50% from the peak in 2013 of 105 per 100,000.

Innovative and partnership working in the borough has enhanced community engagement and awareness, and improving the patient journey is a key focus. Prevention activities include the National latent tuberculosis infection testing and treatment programme, for which Newham was a pioneer, and universal BCG vaccine for babies. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/prevention/tuberculosis-programme/national-latent-tuberculosis-infection-testing-and-treatment-programme/

Supporting vaccination and immunisation, preventing and treating disease, and preparing for pandemics and epidemics, are all crucial elements of the UK's global health programmes, working alongside organisations like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; the World Health Organisation; the Global Fund; UNAIDS; the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Our work in those different areas cannot adequately be summarised in the answer to one parliamentary question, but the Hon Member can find regular updates about that work by following the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office news feed on GOV.UK, and by continuing to attend our statements, oral questions sessions and urgent question responses in the House.

On 10 June 2026, a co‑designed bovine TB control strategy for England, developed and recommended by the Steering Group of the Bovine TB Partnership, was published: https://tbhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-Recommended-Bovine-TB-Strategy.pdf.

The strategy sets out several recommendations to help achieve bovine TB freedom by 2038, which the Government will now consider carefully, intending to move swiftly from recommendations to delivery through a series of rolling three‑ to five‑year delivery plans.

The UK Health Security Agency and NHS England’s current joint Tuberculosis (TB) Action Plan for England 2021 to 2026 outlines outcomes and indicators to achieve a 90% reduction in people with TB by 2035, aligned with the World Health Organisation elimination targets. It is due to run to the end of 2026, and work is underway to develop the next five-year national TB action plan for England. The current plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-tb-action-plan-for-england/tuberculosis-tb-action-plan-for-england-2021-to-2026

The devolved administrations’ public health agencies are actively engaged in the National TB Advisory and Implementation Group which oversees and monitors the current plan’s implementation, although the plan is for England only.

Significant policy development and stakeholder engagement have been undertaken to inform the next National TB Action Plan for England. This includes a public call for evidence in 2025 and a rapid interim evaluation of the current TB Action Plan in 2025/26.

The findings from these, together with extensive stakeholder input, including the devolved administrations, clinical and academic experts, service providers, third-sector organisations, and people with lived experience are being used to determine the proposed interventions for the next TB National Action Plan, which will focus on the needs of those affected by TB and strengthening TB services.

Advice will be provided to ministers on the next TB National Action Plan following the outcome of cross-Government ministerial discussions on the proposed interventions.

The Government is currently developing the Tuberculosis National Action Plan for 2026 to 2031. The content of the plan, including any associated funding requirements, has not yet been finalised. Any proposals with financial implications will be subject to the usual cross‑Government processes, including agreement with HM Treasury. Details, with funding commitments, will be included when the plan is published.

There is currently a shortage of some medicines used to treat tuberculosis (TB), non-tuberculous mycobacteria, and other conditions. However, as a result of measures taken, the supply position has significantly improved. Supplies to the market were delayed following regulatory requirements that increased the complexity of the manufacturing process to address serious quality concerns. This was compounded by delivery delays and increased pressure on the products that remain available.

On 21 July 2025, the shortage was designated by the Medicines Shortage Response Group (MSRG) as Tier 4, the highest impact on patients and the system, given the risk to patient and public health. Following a Medicines Supply Notification (MSN) to the system in April, a National Patient Safety Alert was published on 29 July 2025. This provided guidance to clinical teams on prioritising patient care and managing stock. Updates to the issue, including the current status and resupply dates, are regularly maintained via the online Medicines Supply Tool managed by NHS England and the Department.

The situation has improved following ongoing engagement with suppliers and enhanced support from importers. There is now sufficient stock for the treatment of latent TB to continue as normal, and MSRG agreed on 13 October that the issue should be deescalated to a Tier 3, and a new MSN was issued to the system on 23 October 2025.

An Incident Management Team managed the shortage in its most acute phase, led by NHS England and with a broad wider stakeholder group, including the Department and the UK Health Security Agency, and a Supply Chain Management group has co-ordinated the allocation and distribution of the available stock across all four nations.

Thanks to this cross-system collaboration and clinically-led strategy to manage current supplies, the sourcing of additional stock, and the effective prioritisation of the existing supply, the stock levels of many licensed products have improved.

NHS England continues to engage with all relevant suppliers to understand usage and expected resupply dates as well as with specialist importers of unlicensed products to understand their ability to cover the initial and future deficit. Plans are underway to ensure that when further licensed stock becomes available, we can control allocation via wholesalers to enable fair distribution of stock.

Medium to longer-term planning is underway to address ongoing and future challenges in TB medicine supply.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer she received on 3 November in response to Question 84226.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer she received on 3 November in response to Question 84226.

I am pleased to confirm the UK will pledge £850 million to the Global Fund's Eighth Replenishment 2026-2028. This investment is expected to help save up to 1.3 million lives and avert up to 22 million new cases of HIV, TB, and malaria globally, delivering up to £13 billion in economic returns. The Global Fund allocation to Malawi will be determined following the conclusion of the replenishment.

In November 2022, the UK pledged £1 billion to the 7th replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which will help to provide tuberculosis (TB) treatment and care for 98,000 people, screen 1.8 million people for TB and provide 3,700 people with treatment for multidrug-resistant TB. Previous UK contributions to the Global Fund were £800 million during 2014-16, £1.2 billion during 2017-19, and £1.4 billion during 2020-22.

The UK contribution to the Global Fund is not earmarked by country or disease, so the requested breakdown is not available. However, the Global Fund allocation to Malawi was US$450 million in 2017-19 (including $9 million for TB), $513 million during 2020-22 (including $20 million for TB) and a pledged total of $517 million for 2023-25 (including $20 million for TB).