; and (C) in some countries, TB case notifications dropped by up to 41 percent, setting progress back by up to 12 years. (5) Failure to properly diagnose and treat TB can lead to death, can exacerbate antimicrobial resistance (a key contributor to rising cases of multi-drug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB), and can increase the probability of the introduction of resistant TB into new geographic areas. (6) TB programs have played a central role in responding to COVID–19, including through leveraging the expertise of medical staff with expertise in TB and lung diseases, the repurposing of TB hospitals, and the use of the TB rapid molecular testing platforms and x-ray equipment for multiple purposes, including the treatment of COVID–19. (7) With sufficient resourcing, TB program expertise, infection control, laboratory capacity, active case finding, and contact investigation can serve as platforms for respiratory pandemic response against existing and new infectious respiratory disease without disrupting ongoing TB programs and activities. (8) Globally, only about 1/2 of the $13,000,000,000 required annually, as outlined in the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Plan to End TB, is currently available. (9) According to estimates by the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, an additional $3,500,000,000 was needed during 2021 for TB programs in eligible countries in order to recover from the negative impacts of COVID–19. (10) On September 26, 2018, the United Nations convened the first High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Fight Against Tuberculosis, during which 120 countries— (A) signed a Political Declaration to accelerate progress against TB, including through commitments to increase funding for TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research and development programs, and to set ambitious goals to successfully treat 40,000,000 people with active TB and prevent at least 30,000,000 from becoming ill with TB between 2018 and 2022