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Migrants and refugees face a heightened risk of developing TB because of a multitude of intersecting factors. The migration journey itself, coupled with overcrowded and often substandard living conditions, exploitative working environments, and social stigma, exacerbates their vulnerability. Barriers rooted in social, cultural, and financial challenges restrict access to healthcare and social support, while gaps and inadequacies in laws and policies—including crossborder protections—leave migrants and refugees without essential safeguards. These conditions lead to delayed, interrupted, or limited healthcare access, resulting in severe social, health, and economic impacts, and deepening health inequities. Global health emergencies, such as natural disasters, political instability, conflict, and climate crises, further divert resources from the TB response. For instance, the devastating effect of the covid-19 pandemic on TB care was starkly evident, with an 18% decline in the number of people newly diagnosed and reported with TB. Prolonged disruptions to TB services and access to care during the pandemic led to a significant rise in TB incidence and mortality, reversing years of progress in the fight against the disease.

To tackle this issue, WHO in partnership with the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), has developed an action oriented report. The report, which was launched at the summit in November 2024,6 outlines 10 critical actions for effective prevention and reduction of TB among refugees and migrants that are aligned with established global strategies and commitments.7 8 9 10 11 Adoption of these recommendations is expected to contribute towards improved health and wellbeing of refugees and migrants. A central driver of these recommendations is the urgent need for high level political mobilisation and crossborder engagement to build strong, unified support for mitigating TB among migrants, refugees, displaced populations, and host communities. This requires UN member states, with dedicated backing from WHO and key partners, to prioritise and secure comprehensive funding for a TB response specifically designed to meet the complex needs of refugees and migrants. This response must actively involve essential stakeholders—including UN agencies, sectoral partners, civil society, affected communities, and other key collaborators—to ensure it is both comprehensive and inclusive.

sive funding for a TB response specifically designed to meet the complex needs of refugees and migrants. This response must actively involve essential stakeholders—including UN agencies, sectoral partners, civil society, affected communities, and other key collaborators—to ensure it is both comprehensive and inclusive. Facilitating effective TB prevention and care requires robust cross sector coordination—particularly among health, immigration, and labour sectors—to ensure access to TB prevention and care services and maintain continuity of care across borders, in alignment with WHO’s multisectoral accountability framework to end TB.12 Crossborder initiatives and mechanisms, such as regional councils and multisectoral collaborations, are critical in ensuring accessible TB prevention and care for populations on the move. The technical report includes practical examples where this has been done successfully, most recently in response to the exodus of people from Ukraine to neighbouring countries in Europe.6

For affected people and communities, healthcare providers, policy makers, and researchers alike, the path forward is clear. The WISH report provides a robust framework for combating TB among migrants and refugees, but it requires collective effort to make these policies a reality. Health professionals must advocate for inclusive TB care, researchers should prioritise migrant sensitive studies, and policy makers need to fund and enact these recommendations.