WHO says TB killed 1.23 million people last year, with 8.3 million newly diagnosed
Tuberculosis remains the world’s leading infectious killer, with an estimated 1.23 million deaths last year, the United Nations Health Organization said, reporting that Pakistan, among eight countries, accounted for two-thirds of global tuberculosis cases.
Deaths from tuberculosis fell by 3 percent compared to 2023, while cases fell by almost 2 percent, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its annual overview.
An estimated 10.7 million people worldwide will contract tuberculosis in 2024: 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women and 1.2 million children.
A preventable and curable disease, tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that most often affects the lungs. It is spread through the air when people with TB cough, sneeze or spit.
Today, tuberculosis cases and deaths are falling “for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic,” which disrupted services, said Tereza Kasaeva, head of the WHO department for HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections.
“Budget cuts and persistent epidemic drivers threaten to reverse hard-won gains, but with political commitment, sustained investment and global solidarity, we can turn the tide and end this ancient killer once and for all,” she said.
Funding for the fight against tuberculosis has stagnated since 2020.
Last year, $5.9 billion was available for prevention, diagnosis and treatment, far short of the goal of $22 billion per year by 2027.
By 2024, eight countries accounted for two-thirds of the world’s TB cases.
These are India (25 percent), Indonesia (10 percent), Philippines (6.8 percent), China (6.5 percent), Pakistan (6.3 percent), Nigeria (4.8 percent), Democratic Republic of Congo (3.9 percent) and Bangladesh (3.6 percent).
The top five risk factors driving the epidemic are undernutrition, HIV infection, diabetes, tobacco use and alcohol use disorders.
Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, with 150,000 deaths last year.
In 2024, 8.3 million people will be newly diagnosed with TB and accessed treatment. This is a record that the WHO attributes to reaching more people with the disease.
Last year, treatment success rates increased from 68 percent to 71 percent. The WHO estimates that rapid treatment for tuberculosis has saved 83 million lives since 2000.
Vaccine research, AI tools
“The decline in the global burden of tuberculosis and progress in testing, treatment, social protection and research are good news after years of setbacks, but progress is not a victory,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“The fact that tuberculosis continues to claim more than a million lives each year, although it is preventable and curable, is simply unacceptable.”
Regarding the portfolio of TB tests, treatments and vaccines, as of August this year, 63 diagnostic tests were under development and 29 drugs were in clinical trials.
Some 18 vaccine candidates are currently being tested on humans, including six in phase III, the final step before regulatory approval.
The BCG vaccine has long been part of routine childhood immunization programs in many countries. But despite the devastating impact of tuberculosis globally, no new vaccines have been approved for more than a century and there is no vaccine for adults.
Peter Sands, Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said: “We now have shorter, more effective treatment regimens, improved prevention strategies and cutting-edge diagnostics, including AI-based tools that can detect TB faster and more accurately than ever before,” he said.
“These innovations are transforming how we fight TB, particularly in resource-limited settings. »
