TB Preventive Treatment Fact Sheet

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TB Preventive Treatment (TPT)

A Proven Tool to End Tuberculosis (TB)

Nearly 2 billion people, 1 in 4 people worldwide, are infected with TB. Tuberculosis is the world's leading infectious disease killer, causing more than one million deaths every year. Yet, it is preventable and curable.

CDC is on the forefront of global efforts to accelerate the uptake of TPT, because preventing TB abroad protects Americans at home. TPT is a proven intervention that can prevent TB disease and death among those at high risk of developing TB.

Fast Facts

• TPT saves lives. TPT can reduce TB deaths among people living with HIV by nearly 40% — and up to 80% when combined with antiretroviral therapy.
  
• TB is the #1 cause of death for people living with HIV. In 2024, about 150,000 people died of HIV-associated TB.
• Progress is possible. Between 2005 and 2024, 21 million people living with HIV around the world started TPT — more than half of the 40.8 million people living with HIV in 2024.

Preventing TB disease among people living with HIV

Why this matters to Americans

Because TB knows no borders, preventing TB abroad reduces infections in the U.S. and helps lower long-term healthcare costs. Treating a single case of TB in the U.S. can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $500,000. CDC's global TB prevention and treatment efforts protect Americans' health and the U.S. economy.

Accelerating TPT is possible

Evidence shows that TPT prevents active TB disease and saves lives, but scale-up remains slow despite proven effectiveness and affordability. Among people living with HIV, TPT reduces deaths in the 5 years after completing treatment by nearly 40%, independent of HIV treatment.

CDC's efforts

CDC is supporting countries with high levels of both TB and HIV to scale up TPT. Specific efforts include:

• Through PEPFAR, CDC supported over 9 million people living with HIV in completing TPT between 2017 and 2024. This includes more than 440,900 children.
• Expanding TPT access to other eligible groups, such as children and adults who have been exposed to someone with active TB.
• Supporting high burden countries to rapidly scale up their TPT programs through expert guidance, implementation tools, and training.

CDC brings unique strengths that are critical to ensuring global progress against TB:

• A global network of TB scientists with deep expertise in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs.
• Long-standing and trusted relationships with Ministries of Health built through years of working side-by-side to improve health outcomes.
• Proven expertise in strengthening laboratory networks and surveillance systems to provide faster, more accurate diagnoses and disease surveillance.

www.cdc.gov/globalhivtb

Further Reading: