This report is WHO's thirteenth annual report on global tuberculosis (TB) control in a series that started in 1997. It presents WHO's latest assessment of the epidemiological burden of TB (numbers of cases and deaths), as well as progress towards the 2015 targets for global TB control that have been established within the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It also includes a thorough analysis of implementation and financing of the WHO's Stop TB Strategy and the Stop TB Partnership's Global Plan to Stop TB, since in combination these have set out how TB control needs to be implemented and funded to achieve the 2015 targets. The report gives particular attention to the period 2006-2009, but selected epidemiological, implementation and financial data are presented for previous years as well. This includes epidemiological data back to 1990 and financial data back to 2002. Bringing together data reported by 196 out of 212 countries and territories in 2008, as well as data collected from these countries and territories in previous years, Global tuberculosis control 2009 is the definitive source of information about the national and international response to the worldwide TB epidemic.