Over two-thirds of people with symptoms of tuberculosis initially seek care in the private sector. TB is a disease that thrives in areas with poor living conditions such as overcrowded spaces and poorly ventilated housing, and among those with weakened immune systems due to living with HIV, diabetes, or undernutrition.
TB also exposes gaps in the health care system surrounding access, stigma, and inequality, and TB care and prevention are intimately linked to the resilience of the health care system.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted that public health care has been overstretched, leaving private health care providers at the forefront for both pandemic response as well as TB.