Tuberculosis Infected 8 Million People Last Year, Highest Number Recorded
New Record Set by World Health Organization
More than 8 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday, the highest number recorded since the U.N. health agency began keeping track.
TB Remains a Major Global Health Concern
About 1.25 million people died of TB last year, the new report said, adding that TB likely returned to being the world’s top infectious disease killer after being replaced by COVID-19 during the pandemic. The deaths are almost double the number of people killed by HIV in 2023.
Globally, TB Continues to Affect the Most Vulnerable
WHO said TB continues to mostly affect people in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific; India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan account for more than half of the world’s cases.
WHO Director-General’s Statement
“The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, when we have the tools to prevent it, detect it and treat it,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
Positive News Amidst the Epidemic
TB deaths continue to fall globally, however, and the number of people being newly infected is beginning to stabilize. The agency noted that of the 400,000 people estimated to have drug-resistant TB last year, fewer than half were diagnosed and treated.
About TB
Tuberculosis is caused by airborne bacteria that mostly affects the lungs. Roughly a quarter of the global population is estimated to have TB, but only about 5–10% of those develop symptoms.
Access to TB Tests: A Major Concern
Advocacy groups, including Doctors Without Borders, have long called for the U.S. company Cepheid, which produces TB tests used in poorer countries, to make them available for $5 per test to increase availability. Earlier this month, Doctors Without Borders and 150 global health partners sent Cepheid an open letter calling on them to “prioritize people’s lives” and to urgently help make TB testing more widespread globally.
Conclusion
The continued spread of TB is a significant concern, but the trend of declining deaths and stabilization of new infections is a positive sign. Efforts to increase access to TB tests and treatment are crucial to combating this pandemic.
FAQs
* Q: What is the cause of TB?
A: TB is caused by airborne bacteria that mostly affects the lungs.
* Q: How common is TB?
A: Roughly a quarter of the global population is estimated to have TB, but only about 5–10% of those develop symptoms.
* Q: How many people died of TB last year?
A: About 1.25 million people died of TB last year, according to WHO.
