Tuberculosis
(asked on 23rd June 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made towards the Government’s ambition to eliminate tuberculosis in a) England b) London c) London Borough of Newham.
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:
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:
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:
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: