The UK Health Security Agency and NHS England have launched a five-year action plan to drive down tuberculosis cases in England.

The TB action plan for England, 2021 to 2026 will improve prevention, detection and control of TB, enabling the UK to meet its commitment to the World Health Organization End TB Strategy and eliminate TB in England by 2035.

Earlier detection and treatment of TB, which can be life-threatening without appropriate treatment, increases likelihood of recovery and reduces chances of onward spread of disease.

The joint UKHSA and NHSE TB action plan will build on the improvements in the prevention, detection and control of TB in England over the past 10 years, and focus on five key priority areas to provide partners with the tools to reduce TB incidence in all our communities.

The five priority areas are: recovery from coronavirus, preventing TB, detecting TB, controlling TB disease and maintaining the healthcare workforce.

Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: “Tuberculosis affects some of the most vulnerable people in our society and ensuring that everyone has access to a timely diagnosis and effective treatment is critical. The elimination of TB in our communities is firmly within our grasp and this action plan presents a solid plan to creating a healthier future. Working with partners we will recover and build on learnings from the pandemic, injecting renewed focus into TB elimination.”