Ghana continues to face a significant tuberculosis (TB) challenge, with an estimated 44,000 people developing the disease each year, yet fewer than half are detected and placed on treatment.
This concern was highlighted by Deputy Minister for Health, Grace Ayensu-Danquah, as the country joined the global community to mark World Tuberculosis Day 2026. Speaking under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Communities, Powered by the People,” she called for renewed national commitment to eliminating the disease, emphasizing that the gap between infection and treatment remains a major obstacle.
The Deputy Minister outlined government efforts to improve early detection and expand access to care. Key interventions include the procurement of artificial intelligence-enabled digital X-ray systems, 15 GeneXpert machines, and TB-LAM test kits, alongside the rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare programme to strengthen access to essential services.
Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, stressed the importance of identifying and treating all TB cases, noting that timely detection is critical to breaking the chain of transmission and saving lives. He commended health workers across the country for their tireless work in diagnosing, treating, and supporting TB patients, describing their role as vital to national TB control efforts.
Meanwhile, Fiona Braka of the World Health Organization warned that TB remains a major public health threat across Africa, claiming a life every 83 seconds. She called for stronger leadership, increased investment, and greater community engagement to accelerate progress toward ending the disease.
Ghana’s commemoration of World TB Day underscores a unified message: with sustained political will, adequate resources, and active community participation, ending tuberculosis as a public health threat is achievable.
