Argentina is facing a sustained increase in tuberculosis cases, with 17,283 reported in 2025 and an incidence rate of 37.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The disease is most prevalent in the provinces of Buenos Aires (PBA), the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA), Formosa, Jujuy, and Salta. In response, the Ministry of Health is implementing actions to improve detection and timely treatment. A key measure is the expansion of molecular tuberculosis diagnosis by delivering new GeneXpert equipment to the network's laboratories and sending 31,000 test cartridges. These devices reduce diagnostic times to under 2 hours and enable decentralized results, strengthening the response in areas with the highest disease burden. The ministry recently presented the fifth edition of the 'Technical Guidelines for Tuberculosis in Argentina.' This document, published for the first time in 13 years, gathers updated, evidence-based information for a comprehensive approach to the disease. It was developed by specialists in coordination with the Pan American Health Organization. The guide promotes a comprehensive approach, considering factors that influence transmission and treatment adherence. It incorporates the health particularities of different regions and includes recommendations on biosafety, infection control, vaccination, and safe dose management. Although effective treatments exist, their prolonged duration (4-6 months) and side effects hinder patient adherence, while drug resistance worsens the problem by limiting therapeutic options. Globally, tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death from infectious agents, with over 10 million cases and 1.2 million deaths reported in 2024. In the Americas region, approximately 350,000 cases were recorded in 2024, the highest number on record, with a 13% increase in the incidence rate since 2015.
