PASS to End TB in Europe: Accelerated efforts on Prevention and Systematic Screening to End Tuberculosis in the WHO European Region by 2030

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2022, 10.6 million people developed tuberculosis (TB). Over 400 000 TB cases were rifampicin or multidrug-resistant TB.The 7.5 million TB notifications in 2022 were the highest ever reported, probably associated in part to COVID-19-related disruptions of services since 2020. Despite ongoing global recovery, TB caused 1.3 million deaths and remained the world's second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent in 2022, after COVID-19, with almost twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS. Aims In this perspective article, we i) provide an objective and critical overview of the existing landscape on TB epidemic in the WHO European Region (the European Region) and ii) identify the strategic significance of proactive measures aimed at approaching TB pre-elimination in the Region. Interventions They primarily include systematic screening for TB disease and treatment for TB infection (TBI). The PASS initiative We outline the objectives, methods, and initial stages of the Prevention and Systematic Screening (PASS) initiative, a complimentary element of the innovative new approach of technical assistance mechanisms of WHO and its partners to countries aligned to the Regional TB Action Plan to End TB in the European Region by 2030.