Tanzania expands rapid TB diagnosis to enable earlier treatment

In Kigoma Region, WHO-recommended molecular tests now return tuberculosis results within hours, allowing people to start treatment sooner. Tanzania reported a 75% decline in TB deaths between 2015 and 2024 while remaining a high-burden country in 2024.

In Kigoma Region, health facilities are now able to give suspected tuberculosis (TB) patients accurate test results within hours instead of days. This improvement follows expanded access to WHO-recommended molecular rapid diagnostic tools, including GeneXpert 10-color machines. Faster diagnosis supports earlier treatment and can help detect drug-resistant TB sooner. Tanzania remains a high TB burden country, but national data show substantial declines in TB deaths in recent years. Key facts: - WHO-recommended molecular rapid diagnostic tools, such as GeneXpert 10-color machines, have been deployed in Kigoma and other frontline sites to reduce result turnaround times. - Rapid results allow people to start treatment earlier and can support detection of drug-resistant TB. - Tanzania had an estimated 118,000 people with TB and about 23,500 TB deaths in 2024, while reported TB deaths fell by 75% between 2015 and 2024. - In the WHO African Region, TB was responsible for roughly 378,000 deaths and 2.7 million infections in 2024, and the region continues to carry a large share of the global burden. Summary: Faster molecular testing in places like Kigoma is improving clinical decision-making and shortening the time to treatment, with benefits for both patients and health workers. WHO and national officials said new approaches will be introduced this year, including easier sampling methods and more portable diagnostic tools, and WHO will support the Ministry of Health to roll these out; officials said continued investment, partner support and community involvement will be required to build on recent gains.