Tuberculosis (TB) can lie dormant for years, affecting around a quarter of the global population—about 1.7 billion people. Many people don’t realize they are infected as TB can be asymptomatic, and they are not contagious. However, these individuals are at risk of developing TB disease later in life, and without treatment, 5 to 10 percent of them will eventually develop the disease.
Prevention of TB is critical because those who live with people diagnosed with TB face a significantly higher risk of developing the disease themselves—up to 25 times more likely than the general population. Children under five years old are particularly vulnerable to progressing from TB infection to disease.
Although treatment for TB infection has been available for decades, many eligible people are still not receiving the preventive treatment they need. Older treatments required long courses, with daily pills for 6 to 36 months. However, newer options like 3HP and 1HP offer shorter, safer treatment regimens. Despite these improvements, many people still fail to complete the full course, which increases the risk of TB developing and spreading.