UKHSA launches call for evidence to tackle rising TB
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-02)

UKHSA launches a call for evidence to shape England’s 2026 to 2031 TB Action Plan as TB rates continue to rise.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is launching a call for evidence (https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tuberculosis-national-action-plan-2026-to-2031) to help shape the next 5-year Tuberculosis (TB) National Action Plan for England, which will run from 2026 to 2031. The latest data for England show that TB rates are rising, and TB epidemiology is changing.

TB rates are diverging further from the trajectory required to achieve WHO elimination targets and renewed action is necessary to keep rates below the WHO-defined low-incidence threshold of 10 cases per 100,000 population.

In 2023, England recorded its largest annual increase (11%) in TB cases since enhanced surveillance began in 2000. Provisional figures for 2024 indicate a further 13% rise in TB notifications compared to 2023, continuing the upward trend. This reflects global patterns, with many countries experiencing setbacks in TB control efforts in recent years. Following the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, global TB incidence rates have increased.

The new Tuberculosis National Action Plan (2026–2031) aims to improve the prevention, detection, and control of TB in England by prioritising the most effective interventions, focusing on those most affected, and addressing health inequalities.

Our call for evidence seeks insights from:
- academics
- health and social care professionals
- public health experts
- epidemiologists
- data and surveillance scientists
- civil society representatives
- policymakers
- politicians
- those with lived experience of tuberculosis
Their contributions will help develop targeted strategies to tackle rising TB rates.

The Call for Evidence (https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tuberculosis-national-action-plan-2026-to-2031) will open on 2 April 2025 and close on 2 May 2025.

Dr Esther Robinson, Head of the TB Unit at UKHSA, said:

TB is curable and preventable, but the disease remains a serious public health issue in England. While England is still considered a low-incidence country for TB, the rise in cases over recent years means that we are now just below that threshold. This call for evidence will help us develop an action plan that prioritises the most effective interventions to reverse this trend, focusing particularly on the needs of those most affected.

The call for evidence builds on the progress made under the current Tuberculosis Action Plan for England, published in 2021, and seeks input to address the evolving TB landscape. UKHSA is consulting a wide range of stakeholders across and beyond government to inform the plan’s development.

TB is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, surpassing COVID-19. The bacterial infection primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body. Symptoms include a persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, a high temperature, night sweats, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

Those with expertise or experience in TB prevention, care, public health, epidemiology, health systems, surveillance, or civil society are encouraged to contribute to the call for evidence via GOV.UK.