Stop TB Canada - January Newsletter

January 2026 Newsletter

Introducing Stop TB Canada’s 2026 Steering Committee

We’re pleased to introduce Stop TB Canada’s 2026 Steering Committee — a dedicated group of TB survivors, researchers, clinicians, and advocates helping guide our work to end tuberculosis in Canada and globally. This new cohort brings diverse expertise and lived experience that will strengthen our advocacy, partnerships, and impact in the year ahead.

Meet the 2026 Steering Committee.

World TB Day 2026: Lighting the Way to End TB

Building on last year’s success, when over 56 monuments were lit in red nationwide, Results Canada and Stop TB Canada will once again lead efforts to light local landmarks and show solidarity in the fight to end TB. We invite you to take action alongside us by helping secure landmark light-ups for March 24, amplifying key messages, and making TB visible to decision-makers. Planning is already underway - approvals can take weeks or months - so join early to help light Canada up in red!

Get started by watching this video or reading this guide.

Student Voices, Expert Insights: A School Project on Tuberculosis

Emma and Eva, Grade 11 IB students at Franco-Ouest High School in Ottawa, created a video report exploring the challenges and realities of tuberculosis.

Watch their project.

Tuberculosis Disease Surveillance

Canada has now a dedicated tuberculosis surveillance system, managed by The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), that monitors cases, trends, and high-risk populations nationwide. This centralized data platform is essential for guiding research and supporting evidence-based initiatives.

Learn more.

Publication spotlight

What Could Go Right? Vital Partnerships with Communities and Civil Society for New Tuberculosis Vaccines

This report shows that new TB vaccines could transform the fight against TB by 2028 - but only if communities are empowered to support their rollout. It calls for urgent investment in civil society capacity, funding, and inclusion in vaccine decision-making to ensure trust, demand, and equitable access. Read more.

Catalysing Artificial Intelligence for Paediatric Tuberculosis Research (CAPTURE): protocol for a global multicentre study establishing a paediatric chest X-ray repository to evaluate computer-aided detection algorithms

This paper introduces CAPTURE, a large repository of chest X-rays and clinical data from children evaluated for tuberculosis, created to improve AI-based interpretation of paediatric TB images. It will be used to test existing adult-focused CAD software and support the development of tools optimized for children, helping guide future policy and adoption of better TB diagnostics. Read more.

Cost and impact of decentralized tuberculosis testing: a modeling analysis of price thresholds for molecular instruments in high-burden settings

This study models the cost-effectiveness of decentralized molecular TB testing in high-burden settings. It finds that while decentralization can improve health outcomes, current instrument and warranty costs make full decentralization economically unviable. Reducing equipment costs could make partial or full decentralization cost-effective, providing guidance for TB diagnostic procurement and investment decisions. Read more.

Tuberculosis: Cases rising in Montreal, other parts of Quebec

Quebec has been seeing a rise in the number of people with tuberculosis (TB) over the past year, especially in Montreal. This represents a 10% increase compared to 2024. Health officials warn that underfunded care, housing insecurity, and migration contribute to the spread, though TB is treatable with proper medication. Read more.

U.S. withdraws from World Health Organization

Results Canada’s Ekatha Ann John highlights in this video how the U.S. withdrawal from WHO could negatively affect global tuberculosis efforts. Read more.

Key dates

February 2-8: International Development Week

February 20: World Day of Social Justice

February 26 - 28: NAR Union TB Conference

Follow us at TBpeople Canada!

TBpeople is a global network of people affected by TB on a mission to unite people and defeat TB. Follow along and join us in building this network in Canada:

Are you or have you been affected by TB? Please consider joining TBpeople Canada to connect with others who have been impacted by TB, and share stories, resources and support with your peers. To learn more about this network, visit our website at https://www.stoptbcanada.com/tbpeoplecanada.

Do you work closely with TB clinics and/or those affected by TB? Click to download and print the flyer on our website and share it in your clinic.

Remain connected by joining our directory

Join our directory of TB researchers, practitioners, advocates and survivors based in Canada to connect with colleagues and engage in our advocacy!

Join the directory by completing this short form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdq1aT8U0Lfj66TqvDV_7yP0vC38i3AABfwWBcd8T-9_p5yBA/viewform

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Thank you!

This newsletter is supported by resources donated by Results Canada.