Update on tuberculosis situation in Singapore

1. On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on 24 March, Singapore joins the global community in reaffirming our commitment to continue the fight against TB. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) theme for this year’s World TB Day is “Yes! We Can End TB! Led by countries. Powered by people.”  

2. TB remains a global public health threat. In 2024, there were more than 10.7 million cases of active TB disease globally, with 1.23 million deaths. In addition, there were an estimated 390,000 cases of multi-drug resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR).¹ 

Update on local TB situation 

3. In 2025, there were 1,019 new cases of active TB disease among Singapore residents. This is lower than the 1,156 cases reported in 2024. The incidence rate was 24.2 cases per 100,000 population in 2025, compared to 27.6 cases per 100,000 in 2024. Older age groups and males continue to make up a significant proportion of new active TB cases. Of the 1,019 new cases notified in 2025, 788 (77.3%) were 50 years old and above, and 668 (65.6%) were males. There were 11 deaths from TB among Singapore residents in 2025, compared to 20 deaths in 2024. In 2025, there was one new case of MDRTB who is a Singapore resident. Please refer to the Annex for details.

4. TB remains endemic in Singapore. While the incidence of active TB disease has declined in recent years, latent TB infection continues to be present in our population and serves as a reservoir for potential future disease. Persons with latent TB infection carry the TB bacteria in their body but are not infectious, as the bacteria remain inactive and do not cause symptoms. However, the bacteria can reactivate later in life, particularly when the immune system is weakened, leading to active TB disease. While the prevalence of latent TB infection has been decreasing since 2015, up to 20% of persons aged 70 years and above in Singapore have latent TB infection.

TB screening and treatment in Singapore 

5. TB is curable and its spread is preventable. To ensure early detection and treatment to curtail the spread of TB, the Communicable Diseases Agency’s (CDA) National TB Programme (NTBP) conducts contact tracing and screening of close contacts. This ensures that those at risk of infection are tested and receive appropriate treatment. As part of expanded efforts to prevent TB transmission, NTBP has been conducting mass screening since 2016 when transmission clusters of TB are detected in the community.

6. Persons diagnosed with active TB disease are immediately started on treatment and placed on medical leave. Once treatment starts, the person rapidly becomes non-infectious and no longer poses a transmission risk to others. The full course of active TB treatment takes six to nine months, and possibly longer for drug-resistant TB. If persons diagnosed with TB do not adhere strictly to the prescribed treatment, there is a higher chance of disease recurrence and developing MDRTB.

7. Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) remains an important component of Singapore’s TB control efforts, with TB medicines administered under the supervision of a trained healthcare worker to support treatment adherence. DOT services are available at all polyclinics. In addition to DOT, video-observed therapy (VOT), which provides a safe and convenient alternative to in-person supervision, has been introduced in phases to suitable patients since 2020.

8. To better support patients and their caregivers, from 2026, we will adopt a more individualised TB care approach, with treatment supervision tailored to patients’ needs and treatment adherence, while maintaining high standards of safety and effectiveness. Patients who have demonstrated good adherence to treatment can transition to VOT, or reduced frequency of DOT.

9. Support and encouragement from family members, friends and colleagues of persons diagnosed with TB remain vital in ensuring that persons diagnosed with TB successfully complete their treatment. Treatment adherence and completion will not only benefit persons diagnosed with TB, but also protect their family, workplace, and community from infection.

10. While there are national control measures in place to reduce the risk of TB transmission in Singapore, everyone plays an important role in preventing the spread of TB. Individuals who are unwell and display symptoms of TB, such as prolonged cough, should seek medical attention early to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment. Those identified as contacts should go for screening, so that they can be offered preventive treatment if tested positive for latent TB infection.

11. With everyone playing their part, we can ensure that persons diagnosed with TB are treated effectively and reduce community transmission of TB in Singapore

¹ Source: WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 (accessed on 12 February 2026). https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116924.

COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AGENCY 

23 MARCH 2026 

Annex 

Table 1: Number of cases and distribution of tuberculosis infection by site

Table 2: Distribution of TB cases by age group and sex

Table 3: Ethnic-sex distribution of reported tuberculosis (new case)