Urgent warning issued over five 'devastating' diseases surging in UK - full list
Doctors and disease experts who are campaigning for the UK to invest more in international health programmes have warned that five "global diseases" are on the rise in Britain. Rates of conditions such as TB, malaria, HIV, dengue fever and measles have increased in recent years, while the UK has cut funding for global health initiatives.
Spending on international health is set to fall dramatically from £1.77billion in 2024 to a projected £527million in 2026. The UK pledged £850million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for 2026-2028, down 15% from £1billion in the previous fundraising cycle. Campaigners from Healthy World, Secure Britain warned the fall in contributions to global health will weaken the UK's defences against infectious diseases and pandemics.
They are urging ministers to recognise the importance of health security abroad in order to protect the NHS.
Professor Aubrey Cunnington, an honorary consultant in paediatric infectious diseases at St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust said: "Protecting health in the UK requires stopping diseases like malaria and TB at source.
"These diseases don't respect borders, so rising cases are a predictable consequence of funding to tackle them in other countries being decimated.
"If politicians retreat from investing in global health security today, it means we will see more devastating diseases tomorrow." Here's a full list of the five diseases highlighted by campaigners.
TuberculosisCases of tuberculosis in England increased by 13% from 4,850 in 2023 to 5,487
It can be treated with antibiotics but can be serious if not treated. In serious cases it can destroy lung tissue leading to severe respiratory failure, bleeding or the spread of infection to other vital organs.
Eight in 10 cases in 2024 were among people born outside the UK, however the UK Health Security Agency said there also been an increase among UK-born populations. The largest increases were seen in London and the West Midlands. Globally, there were a record 8.3 million new cases in 2024.
Professor Onn Min Kon, a consultant respiratory physician at St Mary's Hospital London, said: "We must stop diseases like TB at source. TB 'anywhere' is TB 'everywhere'.
"It is unsurprising that TB cases are still rising after funding to tackle it in other countries has been reduced. There is a need to ensure we treat TB globally as a key component of our care to the population we serve in the UK."
Millions of deaths from malaria have been prevented over the last 25 years thanks to advances in preventing and treating the disease.
But scientists have warned that progress could soon be reversed due to threats including extreme weather, humanitarian crises and funding cuts for prevention programmes.
There were 236 million malaria cases around the world in 2023, leading to 590,000 deaths.
Despite a small drop in cases in 2024, imported malaria cases in the UK remain high, following a peak of 2,106 cases in 2023, the highest total recorded since 2001.
The Express travelled to Tanzania last summer to visit the frontline of the fight to eliminate malaria, where scientists told of their fears that funding cuts would bring vital work to a halt.
Dengue feverThe number of dengue cases imported by returning travellers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland reached a record high of 904 in 2024. This was up significantly from 631 in 2023. Most cases were linked to travel to Southern and South-Eastern Asia.
Dengue is spread by mosquitoes and can cause symptoms similar to flu, including a high temperature, severe headache, pain behind your eyes and muscle or joint pain.
In severe cases, symptoms can escalate to include severe abdominal pain, repeatedly being sick, fast breathing and bleeding hums or nose.
HIVDespite a slight decrease in 2024, HIV diagnoses have been steadily increasing in England since 2020 - while an estimated 1.3 million people were newly infected worldwide.
A report from the Women and Equalities Committee in November warned of an "alarming" rate of increase in new diagnoses among women in Black and Asian communities. MPs cited a concerning drop in testing for young people and a lack of access to tests alongside a drop in the use of contraception.
Doctor Franki Lander, a consultant in HIV and sexual health at Dean Street Clinic in London, said: "The UK has achieved great successes in HIV treatment and prevention in many communities but there continue to be under-served groups.
"Cutting HIV funding globally drives inequitable access to HIV diagnosis and increases stigma. Continued and reinforced stigma around living with HIV can lead to people attending later for testing, diagnosis and care which places a greater burden on the NHS."
MeaslesThe UK recently lost its measles elimination status following a steep rise in cases in 2024, when 3,600 suspected infections were reported. There have been almost 1,000 laboratory-confirmed cases since January 2025.
Experts have blamed a drop in vaccination rates, which are below the recommended level for herd immunity of 95%. Vaccination uptake at the end of 2024 was 92% for the first dose and just below 85% for the second dose.