How the private sector is helping end tuberculosis in the workplace

In 1990, 1 in 9 deaths were from tuberculosis (TB). Today, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who has met a TB patient. You might also be surprised to know how many companies (brands that you see every day) are worried about TB in their workplaces or supply chains. TB is the world's leading infectious killer: airborne, drug-resistant, and found in nearly every country in the world.

As we acknowledge World TB Day, thankfully the global response to TB has rebounded remarkably following the setbacks caused by COVID-19. But major challenges in combating TB remain in identifying and treating all individuals with the disease. While an estimated 10.8 million people develop TB annually, until recently, less than two-thirds of them were enrolled in official treatment programmes.

After years of steady progress, the pandemic caused a sharp decline in new TB diagnoses, reversing a decade of gains. However, since 2020, the global TB response has not only recovered but reached unprecedented levels. Last year alone, a record 8.16 million people were diagnosed – the highest number ever in a single year.

Nearly every member of the TB community has contributed to this unprecedented progress, and the private sector has been no exception. In India, where most TB patients initially seek care at private pharmacies, two major initiatives have successfully bridged the gap between public and private healthcare systems, significantly expanding access to free, official diagnosis and treatment.

Simultaneously, private companies operating in India, such as Parexel, have taken proactive steps to protect their employees and their families from TB. Through expanded health insurance coverage, in-house education and awareness programmes, and routine screenings, these companies are helping to create a safer, healthier workforce while reinforcing the broader fight against TB.

In Indonesia, the private sector has been instrumental in strengthening the fight against TB. By law, all formal employees must undergo an annual health check, and a coalition of companies has strategically aligned their approach to integrate TB screening into these routine assessments. In its first year, this initiative uncovered high rates of previously undiagnosed TB, enabling faster treatment and helping individuals return to work more quickly. Building on this success, Otsuka, the founding partner of the initiative in Indonesia, has recently expanded the effort to the Philippines, another high-burden TB country, further amplifying their impact in global TB control.

These efforts have had a significant impact, but they only represent the first steps towards transformative change in TB and lung health more broadly. In February, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Executive Board approved a resolution for the upcoming World Health Assembly (WHA) advocating for integrated approaches to lung health. Many of the practices already being implemented by the private sector in low- and middle-income countries align with this vision.

For example, the Ending Workplace TB (EWTB) initiative, launched by the World Economic Forum and its partners in 2020, is at the forefront of leveraging innovative technology to transform lung disease screening. The initiative is driving the adoption of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) to detect multiple lung diseases using a single imaging scan, significantly enhancing efficiency and accuracy. EWTB and its member companies are currently exploring the potential for integrating this advanced screening into mandatory annual health checks. By identifying multiple lung diseases early, particularly in workplaces where these screenings are already required, the initiative aims to unlock substantial economic and productivity gains, benefiting both businesses and employee well-being.

With 875 million people formally employed across the WHO’s high TB burden countries, the opportunity for large-scale impact through employee health interventions is immense. Nearly a quarter of these workers are in countries where mandatory annual health checks are already in place, providing a powerful platform to expand screening and treatment, not only for TB but for a range of other critical health conditions.

Currently, the economic return for companies implementing these programmes remains to be definitively established. While TB diagnosis and treatment are widely accessible at no cost in most countries through Global Fund programmes, similar support systems do not yet exist for other respiratory diseases – many of which may impose a greater financial and operational burden on employers. Recognizing this gap, EWTB is actively seeking partnerships with oncology specialists to expand the initiative’s scope. Over the coming months, these collaborations will be crucial in assessing the broader impact of integrated lung disease screening and shaping a sustainable model for workplace health interventions.

Ending Workplace TB is a campaign coalition dedicated to enhancing TB care and prevention. Every year, it recognises companies making particular efforts in this field. This year’s awardees are: Freeport-McMoRan, Otsuka (Philippines) Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OPPI), Parexel, Perenco, and Sibanye Stillwater.