The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have launched a new monitoring and evaluation framework to help countries track whether people with tuberculosis (TB) are actually reached by health and social benefits, and where protection falls short, Devdiscourse reported from Geneva on Thursday.

The need is stark: national household cost surveys show that 47% of people treated for TB and their households experience catastrophic costs — costs that reach far beyond medical care, including travel, lost income and lost employment, which can make treatment harder to complete, according to the WHO and ILO framework reported by Devdiscourse. WHO has separately said TB patients in low- and middle-income countries can face medical expenses, care-seeking costs and income loss equivalent to more than 50% of annual income.

The framework supports a 2023 United Nations commitment to ensure that everyone with TB has access to a health and social benefits package by 2027, and complements the 2024 WHO-ILO guidance on social protection for people affected by tuberculosis, Devdiscourse reported. WHO describes the framework as a practical tool for measuring progress toward that commitment.

It offers a phased approach for countries with different social protection systems, data and monitoring capacity: countries can start with information they already collect and strengthen monitoring over time, building better links between TB, health and social protection systems. It also guides countries in assessing whether benefits reach people in time and provide adequate, comprehensive support, Devdiscourse reported.