The Ministry of Health (Minsa) of Panama reported a decrease in the incidence and mortality rate from tuberculosis during 2025. Edwin Aizpurúa, head of the Tuberculosis Control Section of Minsa, reported that by the end of last year, significant progress was made in two key indicators: the decrease in the incidence rate and the reduction in mortality associated with this disease. The incidence of tuberculosis in the country showed a sustained decrease, going from 47.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024, with 2,156 cases reported, to 44.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 2025, with 2,044 accumulated cases, which confirms a downward trend in the transmission of the disease. Some regions continue to register high incidence rates, among them Bocas del Toro, with 135.54 cases per 100,000 inhabitants; Panama Este with 135.7; and the Guna Yala region, with 131.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, concentrating the highest indicators at the national level. While deaths from tuberculosis at the national level showed a significant reduction, going from 267 deaths in 2024 to 181 in 2025, reflecting the progress in strengthening early detection, access to treatment, and timely follow-up of patients. Aizpurúa emphasized that tuberculosis continues to be a public health problem in the country, mainly due to late diagnosis. In this sense, he called on the population to, in the presence of symptoms such as a persistent cough for more than 15 days, fever, night sweats, and weight loss, go immediately to primary health care services to have the corresponding tests done. The specialist expressed her concern about the high number of diagnosed patients who abandon treatment before completing it, a situation that not only contributes to the spread of the disease but also increases the risk of deaths and the development of drug resistance, making it difficult to control tuberculosis in the country. According to Minsa, in 2024 a total of 244 patients abandoned treatment; while in 2025, 94 patients did so. These acquisitions will be financed through the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Among the regional projections, Panama seeks, together with other countries in the region, to sustainably increase the number of diagnostic tests, with the objective of strengthening timely diagnosis and advancing in the control and elimination of the disease. Panama has free, effective, and internationally standard-approved treatments for the management of tuberculosis.
