Experts review Myanmar’s progress and challenges in the fight against tuberculosis and recommend future directions

Yangon, Myanmar: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a formidable public health challenge in Myanmar, affecting thousands of families and communities each year. Recent advances in case detection, treatment, and community engagement are bringing hope to those impacted, but critical challenges remain to be addressed to sustain and accelerate progress.

In May 2025, Myanmar marked a key milestone by successfully conducting its 8th Joint External Monitoring Mission (JEMM) of the TB control programme in Myanmar. This mission, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), brought together a multidisciplinary team of international and national experts to evaluate the achievements and gaps in implementing the National Strategic Plan for TB (2021–2025). The review also aimed to inform the upcoming National Strategic Plan (2026–2030).

   International reviewers assess TB drugs supply chain and stores during Joint External Monitoring Mission (Photo credit: WHO Myanmar)

The mission team conducted extensive field visits, facility assessments, and stakeholder consultations in diverse regions, including Yangon, Mon, Ayeyarwady, and Shan (East). Despite the challenges posed by conflict and recent natural disasters, Myanmar has demonstrated remarkable resilience. TB case notifications, which dipped during the COVID-19 pandemic, have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. The nationwide rollout of new drug-resistant TB treatment regimens is expanding, ensuring close to 95% are treated successfully.

Innovative approaches have been central to this progress. For example, the “Double X” strategy—a case-finding approach appropriate for local epidemiology—has helped to identify and treat TB patients more efficiently. Additionally, the introduction stool sample testing using GeneXpert Ultra cartridges has enhanced bacteriological confirmation amongst children. compared to sputum sample testing.

Team lead of JEMM interviewing the TB patient at TB clinic (Photo credit: WHO Myanmar)

The mission highlighted important progress in TB control, including stronger diagnostic capacity enabling faster, more accurate detection, and increased community and private sector involvement that broadened service reach. Expansion of public–private mix (PPM) initiatives has also improved treatment outcomes and case finding. However, challenges remain, such as shortages of skilled health workers limiting service quality, unequal access to diagnostic tools across regions, and ongoing gaps in TB/HIV collaborative activities, which pose risks to vulnerable populations living with HIV and TB coinfection.

International reviewers at Debriefing meeting of JEMM (Photo credit: WHO Myanmar)

To overcome these challenges, the mission recommended strengthening the health workforce, optimizing and expanding laboratory diagnostics for timely access, and prioritizing case-finding amongst general and high-risk populations. Reinforcing patient-centered care and securing sustainable financing are also essential for long-term TB control. These recommendations will guide Myanmar’s 2026–2030 TB Strategic Plan, focusing on decentralizing services to communities, improving accessibility, and strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration and health system resilience.

Importantly, these efforts aim not only to reduce TB transmission and related deaths but also to alleviate the financial burden on affected families, many of whom face significant out-of-pocket expenses for diagnosis and treatment.

“The mission has guided future directions to accelerating progress towards ending TB in Myanmar following extensive review of evidence,” said Dr. Thushara Fernando, WHO Representative to Myanmar. “With strong leadership, coordinated partnerships, and community-driven approaches, we are hopeful that the revised plans will bring us closer to a TB-free Myanmar.”

In summary, Myanmar’s TB programme is evolving amid adversity but is making encouraging gains in diagnosis, treatment, and patient support. Continued investment, innovation, and collaboration will be essential to sustain momentum and progress further.