TB is among the deadliest infectious diseases across the world. Globally, an estimated 10 million people fell ill with TB in 2019. Of these, nearly 3 million people were not detected or officially notified and did not receive the care they needed. This denies those affected the right to health and wellbeing. Given that TB is spread through the air, infectious people also put others at risk.

The world has committed to Ending TB but progress is too slow and the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse the progress that has been made in reducing the burden of TB over the past decade.

A particular challenge we face is that men account for more than half of the estimated 10 million people who develop TB annually and two out of every three cases which go undetected or untreated are in men. This impacts not only on men’s health but also contributes to ongoing transmission to all with tremendous personal, familial, social and economic consequences for their families and the wider community.

Knowledge about effective interventions in addressing specific health needs of men and the impact of masculinity on health equity is still evolving.

LIGHT exists to provide decision-makers with new evidence about how male access to quality TB healthcare can be improved by gender-sensitive approaches to improve health outcomes and reduce transmission to other vulnerable populations in the community including women and children.

This work will ensure that investments made in new and innovative diagnostics, treatments and vaccines to detect, treat and prevent TB will reach those who need them in a timely and more effective way.