Tuberculosis Now At Higher Risk Than Covid-19, Leading Killer Disease Globally

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday a concerning rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases, with more than 8 million people newly diagnosed in the last year, marking the highest figure since tracking began. Tuberculosis has now overtaken COVID-19 as the leading infectious disease killer globally, underscoring a major setback in the global battle to eradicate TB.

The WHO’s latest report reveals that over 1.25 million people died from tuberculosis in 2023, reaffirming the disease’s deadly impact worldwide. Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific remain heavily affected, with India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan accounting for over half of all cases. HIV-related fatalities also surged, with the disease claiming nearly twice as many lives in 2023 as in prior years.

The resurgence of TB cases and fatalities has alarmed health authorities. “The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is an outrage, especially when we have the tools to prevent, detect, and treat it,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. While the organization notes some progress in global TB mortality rates, significant gaps persist, particularly with drug-resistant TB. Last year, fewer than half of the estimated 400,000 individuals with drug-resistant tuberculosis were diagnosed and treated.

TB, caused by bacteria that primarily affect the lungs, can spread through airborne droplets, and it’s estimated that roughly a quarter of the world’s population carries the TB bacteria, although only 5-10% develop active symptoms.

Health advocacy organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, have criticized Cepheid, the U.S. company producing critical TB testing equipment, for the high costs that limit accessibility in lower-income nations. Last month, Doctors Without Borders, along with 150 other health organizations, issued an open letter to Cepheid, urging it to reduce test prices to $5 each to expand testing access in countries that bear the brunt of the TB crisis. The appeal emphasizes a need to prioritize patient access over profits, with hopes that affordable testing could transform TB detection and treatment in underserved regions.

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