Record 8.2M New Tuberculosis Cases Diagnosed Globally: WHO

AFP

New York: The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that a staggering 8.2 million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) were diagnosed worldwide in 2023, marking the highest number since the organization began monitoring TB on a global scale in 1995.

This information was released in the WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 on Tuesday.

The report indicates “mixed progress” in the battle against TB, with significant challenges persisting, particularly concerning underfunding.

While TB-related deaths decreased from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023, the number of individuals contracting the disease rose from 7.5 million to 8.2 million.

However, the WHO estimates that the actual number of people who contracted TB last year was around 10.8 million, as not all new cases were diagnosed.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed outrage at the continued toll of TB, stating, “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.”

He urged countries to fulfill their commitments to expand the use of these tools and work toward eliminating TB.
The report attributes the increase in TB cases to global population growth, with the TB incidence rate recorded at 134 new cases per 100,000 people—a 0.2 percent rise compared to the previous year.

The disease disproportionately impacts individuals in 30 high-burden countries, with India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan accounting for over half of the global TB burden. Notably, India alone accounts for more than a quarter of the cases.

Demographically, the report highlights that 55 percent of those developing TB were men, 33 percent were women, and 12 percent were children and young adolescents.

TB, a preventable and curable disease caused by bacteria, primarily affects the lungs and spreads through the air via coughing, sneezing, or spitting.

The WHO noted that new TB cases are largely driven by five major risk factors: undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, diabetes, and smoking—particularly among men.

The organization emphasized that global milestones and targets for reducing the TB disease burden are currently “off-track,” with only $5.7 billion of the $22 billion annual funding target for TB prevention and care available last year.

Furthermore, the WHO warned that in 2023, TB likely reclaimed its position as the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide, following three years in which COVID-19 took precedence.