Integrated Strategies to Address Tuberculosis and Diabetes WHO & IDF Event 2025 Bangkok

World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) jointly hosted a hybrid side event at the IDF World Diabetes Congress in Bangkok, Thailand. Themed “Bridging gaps: Integrated strategies to address TB and diabetes”, the session highlighted the overlapping global burden of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes, discussed WHO’s latest guidance, and explored country-specific challenges and opportunities for integrated, people-centered care.

Key Exam

Event Overview

• Date & Time: 8 April 2025, 07:30 – 08:30 CEST
• Event Format: Hybrid (in-person + online)
• Venue: IDF World Diabetes Congress, Bangkok, Thailand
• Hosted By: WHO and International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
• Theme: Bridging gaps: Integrated strategies to address TB and diabetes

Why This Event Matters

• Addresses the synergistic public health burden of TB and diabetes.
• Emphasizes integrated, people-centered healthcare within primary health systems.
• Aims to help countries achieve universal health coverage (UHC) and meet global health goals like the SDGs.
• Global Burden: TB & Diabetes

Tuberculosis (TB)

• Leading cause of death from a single infectious agent.
• 1.25 million deaths out of 10.8 million TB cases in 2023.
• Diabetes
• WHO–Lancet 2024 data: 828 million adults (18+) have diabetes globally.
• Increase of 630 million cases since 1990.
• Rapid rise in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) where TB is also prevalent.

Link Between TB and Diabetes

• Diabetes increases risk of developing TB.
• Around 15% of TB patients globally also have diabetes.
• Diabetes leads to worse TB treatment outcomes and higher mortality risk in co-affected individuals.

Key Points from the Event

• Launch of WHO’s new guidance on TB–diabetes collaborative care.
• Focus on integrating diabetes screening and care within TB programs and vice versa.
• Emphasis on early diagnosis, bidirectional screening, and co-management of both diseases.

Featured insights from,

• A TB survivor living with diabetes.
• Academics, healthcare implementers, and policy makers from high-burden countries.

Panel discussion explored,

• Cross-sectoral collaboration.
• Health system strengthening for dual disease care.
• Opportunities to scale up innovations and tech-based solutions.

Policy Relevance & Strategic Goals

• Supports WHO’s End TB Strategy and Global Diabetes Compact.
• Contributes to SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
• Advocates primary health care strengthening, especially in LMICs.
• Promotes universal health coverage (UHC) by improving access to integrated services.