United States: A recently new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) says that in 2023, 8.2 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), the highest number ever since they started tracking it in 1995. This is more than the 7.5 million cases in 2022. TB is now the leading infectious disease killer, even more than COVID-19.
The WHO 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report: In the fight against TB, good and bad, there are still hurdles like deficiency of fund.
In Americas as per the estimates, 342000 people were diagnosed of tuberculosis in 2023, 6.6 per cent more than 2022, but mortality due to tuberculosis has started reducing, by 5.4 per cent from 2022 to 2023.
As per the Paho.org, this reduction is however caused by the increase, in the population proportion diagnosed and/or treated – 76% in 2022 to 78% in 2023.
They evidence of the research reveals that it rectum affects 1.3 million individuals within thirty higher-risk countries, with India being on thirty two percentage, Indonesia ten percent, China six point eight, the Philippines six point eight, and Pakistan six point three.”
Ten thousand new TB cases per year, eight countries constrain 80% of the Region’s TB burden TB in the Americas while others in the Caribbean have brought its incidence to low levels and some are near the disease elimination goals.
While providing the detail of affected people in the report, it was identified that 55% of the entire affected population was men, 33% women and 12% was children and young adolescents.
“That TB still causes death and morbidity and through multifaceted pathways is an affront to humanity given we now exist in a world where prevention, detection and treatment tools for tuberculosis exist,” noted Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “WHO is calling on all countries to deliver on the specific pledges made to step up use of these tools and end TB.”
At global level the difference between estimated new TB cases and reported ones was as small as 2.7 million in 2023, lesser than COVID-19 pandemic inspired 4 million gap in 2020 and 2021. This comes after several concerted national, regional, and global attempts to bounce back from disruptions in managing TB by the COVID-racket.