Background: Leprosy elimination was achieved in the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the late 1980s. However, cases continue to be reported within the Region. This paper analyses leprosy cases in the Region reported to WHO during 1991–2019. Methods: Descriptive analyses were conducted of data from leprosy surveillance reported in the Region. Key indicators included prevalence, the number and rate of new cases detected, proportions of cases with multibacillary leprosy or grade 2 disability, and the numbers and proportions of cases among children and cases by sex. Results: From 1991 to 2019, the number of registered cases detected in the Region decreased by 94% (from 68 313 in 1991 to 4381 in 2019), and the number of new cases detected decreased by 72.1% (from 15 002 in 1991 to 4004 in 2019). The proportion of cases of multibacillary leprosy increased from 67.4% (8045/11 943) in 1995 to 85.6% (3428/4004) in 2019, and between 1997 and 2019 the number of leprosy cases occurring in children decreased from 1240 to 424. The proportion of new cases with grade 2 disability decreased from 15.4% in 1997 to 6.6% in 2019. With few exceptions, nearly two thirds of reported cases occurred in males. Conclusion: Most countries and areas in the Region have successfully eliminated leprosy, although some pockets remain in countries with hard-to-reach areas. The introduction of multidrug therapy and WHO’s 1991 elimination goals may have prompted the initial decline in leprosy cases. Continued efforts are required in case-finding, care and prevention in areas with a high burden of disease.

Background: Diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) have radically changed in accordance with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the past decade, allowing rapid and simple diagnosis and shorter treatment duration with new and repurposed drugs. Methods: A descriptive analysis of the status and progress of DR-TB diagnosis and treatment in six priority countries in the Western Pacific Region was conducted using information from interviews with countries and the WHO TB database. Results: Over the past decade, the use of Xpert MTB/RIF has increased in the six priority countries, in parallel with implementation of national policies and algorithms to use Xpert MTB/RIF as an initial diagnostic test for TB and detection of rifampicin resistance. This has resulted in increases in the number of people diagnosed with multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). Shorter treatment regimens with new and repurposed drugs have also been adopted for MDR/RR-TB cases, alongside a decentralized model of care, leading to improved treatment outcomes. Discussion: The Western Pacific Region has achieved considerable progress in the diagnosis and treatment of DR-TB, in line with the evolving WHO recommendations in the past decade. The continued commitment of Member States is needed to address remaining challenges, such as the impact of the coronavirus disease pandemic, suboptimal management and health system issues.

Objective: This paper provides an overview of financing for tuberculosis (TB) prevention, diagnostic and treatment services in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region during 2005–2020. Methods: This analysis uses the WHO global TB finance database to describe TB funding during 2005–2020 in 18 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in the Western Pacific Region, with additional country-level data and analysis for seven priority countries: Cambodia, China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Viet Nam. Results: Funding for the provision of TB prevention, diagnostic and treatment services in the 18 LMICs tripled from US$ 358 million in 2005 to US$ 1061 million in 2020, driven largely by increases in domestic funding, which rose from US$ 325 million to US$ 939 million over the same period. In the seven priority countries, TB investments also tripled, from US$ 340 million in 2005 to US$ 1020 million in 2020. China alone accounted for much of this growth, increasing its financing for TB programmes and services five-fold, from US$ 160 million to US$ 784 million. The latest country forecasts estimate that US$ 3.8 billion will be required to fight TB in the seven priority countries by 2025, which means that unless additional funding is mobilized, the funding gap will increase from US$ 326 million in 2020 to US$ 830 million by 2025. Discussion: Increases in domestic funding over the past 15 years reflect a firm political commitment to ending TB. However, current funding levels do not meet the required needs to finance the national TB strategic plans in the priority countries. An urgent step-up of public financing efforts is required to reduce the burden of TB in the Western Pacific Region.

Since 2015, the End TB Strategy and the Regional Framework for Action on Implementation of the End TB Strategy in the Western Pacific 2016–2020 have guided national tuberculosis (TB) responses in countries and areas of the Region. This paper provides an overview of the TB epidemiological situation in the Western Pacific Region and of progress towards the 2020 milestones of the Strategy. A descriptive analysis was conducted of TB surveillance and programme data reported to WHO and estimates of the TB burden generated by WHO for the period 2000–2018. An estimated 1.8 million people developed TB and 90 000 people died from it in the Region in 2018. Since 2015, the estimated TB incidence rate and the estimated number of TB deaths in the Region decreased by 3% and 10%, with annual reduction rates of 1.0% and 3.4%, respectively. With current efforts, the Region is unlikely to achieve the 2020 milestones and other targets of the Strategy. Major challenges include: (1) wide variation in the geographical distribution and rate of TB incidence among countries; (2) a substantial proportion (23%) of TB cases that remain unreached, undiagnosed or unreported; (3) insufficient coverage of drug susceptibility testing (51%) for bacteriologically confirmed cases and limited use of WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics (11 countries reported < 60% coverage); (4) suboptimal treatment outcomes of TB (60% of countries reported < 85% success), of TB/HIV co-infection (79%) and of multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (59%); (5) limited coverage of TB preventive treatment among people living with HIV (39%) and child contacts (12%); and (6) substantial proportions (35–70%) of TB-affected families facing catastrophic costs. For the Region to stay on track to achieve the End TB Strategy targets, an accelerated multisectoral response to TB is required in every country.

Reports of tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks among schoolchildren have increased in recent years in countries across the Western Pacific Region. Cases from China, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea were studied to derive lessons from the challenges and responses to TB outbreaks in schools. Despite differences in the TB burden and outbreak preparedness, the four countries reported similar challenges. These included delayed diagnosis of index cases, lack of experienced health professionals and sustained financial support, and difficulty in responding to intensified media and community attention. Early detection of outbreaks, established resource mobilization networks, coordination among stakeholders and proactive communication were highlights of successful outbreak responses. These principles could be adapted to each context for responses to future TB outbreaks in schools.