Security debates often centre on armies, weapons, and cyber defences, but a major threat to peace and stability spreads silently: infectious diseases. HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria – exacerbated by underfunded health systems – cross borders, disrupt economies and endanger societies. This is not just a health issue but a direct threat to national and global security. Underfunding health leaves nations defenceless against one of the most dangerous enemies of our time.
Tuberculosis is one of the diseases the UK can’t afford to ignore. In England, rates of TB rose by 11 per cent in 2023 – the largest increase since national reporting began in 2000. This is especially concerning given that the spread of multidrug-resistant TB globally poses a major health security threat. This form of the disease is caused by bacteria which are resistant to at least two of the most effective anti-TB drugs. It is hard to treat, increases costs for health systems already under strain, and has high mortality rates. Antimicrobial Resistance caused 1.27 million deaths in 2019, one in three of these were due to drug-resistant TB. If left unchecked, TB and drug-resistant TB could spread globally and kill millions more.
