Tuberculosis (TB) situation in South Sudan in 2025
WHO’s 2025 Global Tuberculosis Report estimates the incidence of all forms of TB in South Sudan at 320 per 100,000 people, or approximately 38,000 cases, up from 227 per 100,000 (with approximately 26,000 cases) in 2024. Mortality rates stand at 42 per 100,000 for HIV-negative cases and 8.7 per 100,000 for HIV-positive cases, compared with 13 per 100,000 and 3.7 per 100,000 in 2024.
No recent TB prevalence survey exists, so these estimates have remained relatively stable since 2011, with modest upward adjustments for 2024. The true TB burden may be higher, with the upper bound of current estimates at 605 per 100,000, up from 332 per 100,000 in 2024. In 2024, 26,000 new TB cases were estimated, of which 27,133 (104%) were detected, reflecting improved case detection and highlighting the need for strengthened national TB programme data quality and potential prevalence surveys.
Among detected cases in 2024, the treatment success rate was 92%. Only 61% of new and relapsed TB cases were bacteriologically confirmed, indicating limited access to diagnostic technology such as GeneXpert. In the same year, 297 DR-TB cases were notified, all of whom (297/297, 100%) were enrolled on second-line treatment. Additionally, 92% of new and relapse TB patients (24,595/27,045) were screened for HIV; 13% (2,304/24,595) were HIV-positive, of whom 97% (2,233/2,304) were subsequently initiated on ART.

Health System Challenges and TB Achievements in 2025
In 2025, South Sudan’s health system faced unprecedented challenges, shaped by conflict, economic deterioration, and disease outbreaks. The massive influx of over 1.1 million refugees fleeing Sudan’s war since 2023, with roughly 1,000 people crossing the border daily in late 2025, placed extraordinary pressure on an already fragile healthcare infrastructure.
Refugee transit centers, such as the facility near Renk, operated at nearly double their intended capacity, stretching resources and limiting access to essential care. Internal conflict between government forces and opposition groups intensified in December 2025, displacing over 100,000 people, further undermining the delivery of health services.
These compounded pressures created conditions that fueled the spread of tuberculosis (TB), making timely detection and treatment more critical than ever. Despite this, AAA remained at the forefront, delivering life-saving TB services and safeguarding the health of vulnerable communities.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2025

• New and relapse TB patients notified: 8,190
• Successfully treated new and relapse TB patients: 7,180/7,861 (91%)
• TB/HIV collaboration: 8,038/8,190 (98%)
• TB/HIV co-infection: 599/634 (94%)
• MDR-TB patients notified: 167
• MDR-TB patients enrolled on second-line treatment: 167/167 (100%)
• MDR-TB patients enrolled in 2023 successfully treated with second-line drugs: 97/97 (100%)