Tuberculosis On the Rise: A Global Concern

You might be wondering why tuberculosis (TB) is making headlines again. Well, last year, the number of new TB cases hit an all-time high since 1995, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Let's break it down. Imagine a world map. Now, think about 8. 2 million new TB cases spread across it. That's what happened in 2023. Even though the number of TB-related deaths went down from 1. 32 million in 2022 to 1. 25 million, more people are getting sick. The WHO guesses that around 10. 8 million people actually got TB last year, but not all were diagnosed. The WHO's chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is pretty upset about it. He says, "It's outrageous that TB still hurts so many when we have the tools to prevent, detect, and treat it. " He's calling on countries to use these tools and end TB. What's causing the increase? Mainly population growth. The TB incidence rate also went up by 0. 2 percent from 2022, standing at 134 new cases per 100, 000 people. Now, TB isn't just a problem anywhere; it's worse in some places. Thirty high-burden countries are hit the hardest, with five countries—India, Indonesia, China, Philippines, and Pakistan—making up more than half of the global TB cases. Men make up 55 percent of TB patients, women 33 percent, and children and young adolescents 12 percent. TB is caused by bacteria and is spread through the air. It mostly affects the lungs. The WHO says things like undernutrition, HIV, alcohol use, diabetes, and smoking are major risk factors. The world is falling behind on TB targets. Only $5. 7 billion of the $22 billion needed for TB prevention and care was available last year. Plus, TB might be the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent again, replacing COVID-19.