Tuberculosis returns to being the number 1 threat, ousting Covid which had blown up all the ‘rankings’, giving rise to the most serious pandemic of modern times. Now, with the global emergency linked to Sars-CoV-2 over, TB is once again regaining its sad primacy and in 2023 will once again position itself as the main deadly infectious disease. According to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 8.2 million people worldwide received a new diagnosis of TB in the year in question. Never so many cases. This is, the WHO highlights in the report, the “highest number recorded since” the UN health agency “began global monitoring in 1995”. The 2023 toll is a “significant increase from the 7.5 million reported in 2022.”
He reports Oms
The WHO Global Tuberculosis Report 2024 highlights, the agency explains, “mixed progress” in the global fight against TB, with “persistent challenges” such as “significant underfunding”. While the number of TB-related deaths decreased from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023, the actual total number of people who fell ill in 2023 is estimated to have increased slightly to around 10.8 million. In the last year monitored, therefore, the gap between the estimated number of new TB cases and those reported reduced to around 2.7 million, down compared to Covid pandemic levels of around 4 million in 2020 and 2021 This, experts explain, is the result of significant national and global efforts to recover from disruptions to TB services related to the Covid pandemic.
Apart from this, however, the numbers speak clearly: TB has returned, according to the assessment contained in the report, “probably the main cause of death caused by a single infectious agent”, after 3 years in which it had been replaced by Covid, and it caused “almost double the deaths than HIV/AIDS”.
High risk countries
There are 30 countries in the world with a high rate of TB and they account for 87% of cases. In detail, 56% of these cases are concentrated in 5 countries: India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), the Philippines (6.8%) and Pakistan (6.3%). According to the report, 55% of people who developed TB were men, 33% were women and 12% were children and young adolescents. “The fact that TB still kills and sickens so many people is a scandal, when we have the tools to prevent, detect and treat it”, observes the director general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“WHO urges all countries to respect the concrete commitments made to expand the use of these tools and put an end to TB”, urges the WHO Director General. Coverage of preventive treatment for TB has been maintained for people living with HIV and continues to improve for household contacts of people diagnosed with TB. However, the multidrug-resistant form remains a public health crisis. Treatment success rates for multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB have now reached 68%. But of the 400,000 people estimated to have developed this super TB, only 44% were diagnosed and treated in 2023.
Prevention and treatment of the disease
Another critical issue highlighted by the WHO concerns global funding for the prevention and treatment of the infectious disease which “further decreased in 2023 and remains well below the target. Low and middle-income countries, which suffer 98% of the tuberculosis burden, faced significant funding gaps. In 2023, only US$5.7 billion of the US$22 billion annual funding target was available, or just 26%, a quarter of the target. Globally, the US government remains the largest bilateral donor for the disease. Sustained financial investment is critical to successful prevention, diagnosis and treatment efforts. it reads, with only a fifth of the annual target of US$5 billion achieved in 2022. This impedes the development of new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.
For the first time, the report also provides another very significant estimate that highlights how half of families affected by TB face catastrophic costs.
Risk factors
A significant number of new cases are caused by 5 main risk factors: malnutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking (especially among men) and diabetes. Addressing these problems, together with critical determinants such as poverty and GDP per capita, requires coordinated multisectoral action, concludes the WHO. “We face a multitude of formidable challenges: funding gaps and a catastrophic financial burden for those affected,” highlights Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme. “It is critical that we come together across all sectors and stakeholders to address these pressing issues and step up our efforts.”
Tuberculosis: The Unfortunate Comeback Kid
Well, well, well! It seems we’ve had a bit of a plot twist in the pandemic script, folks! Just when you thought it was safe to ignore all those hushed TB warnings, here comes Tuberculosis, swinging back into the limelight faster than you can say “multi-drug resistant!” Forget the viral showstopper that was Covid—Tuberculosis has barreled back onto the scene, claiming its throne as the number one infectious disease threat in 2023.
According to the latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 8.2 million people worldwide received a new TB diagnosis last year. That’s a record—like the kind of record nobody wanted to break! TB has effectively elbowed Covid out of the way and is now enjoying its sadistic reign of terror as the main killer among infectious diseases.
WHO Has Some Choice Words
The WHO has characterized the situation as “mixed progress,” which sounds like something your teacher might say when you’ve done only half your homework—err… great effort, but still not an A! Challenges persist, especially with “significant underfunding.” Just to clarify, folks, that’s what you call an international funding crisis: when everyone’s revealing their hands and it turns out it’s all just spare change! Despite a slight decrease in TB deaths, new cases still proliferate like weeds at a neglected garden. Lovely, right?
High-Risk Countries: The Usual Suspects
So, who’s at the epicenter of our charming little TB reunion? A mere 30 countries account for 87% of cases—let that sink in for a moment! Dominating this unholy list are India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), the Philippines (6.8%), and Pakistan (6.3%). That’s right, folks! These countries have become the shining stars of TB horror, and not in a good way. Meanwhile, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calls it a “scandal” that such an easily preventable disease still wreaks havoc. Cue the dramatic music!
The Funding Gap: More Like a Funding Chasm!
Let’s shift gears to the awkward elephant in the room—funding for the fight against TB seems to be about as reliable as my attempts at singing karaoke: dismal! In 2023, just $5.7 billion managed to crawl across the finish line, falling woefully short of the $22 billion target. That’s like trying to run a marathon with only one shoe! The report reveals that half of the families affected by TB find themselves grappling with catastrophic costs. Yes, catastrophic—because that’s just the cherry on top of this fever dream pie!
Risk Factors: Nourishing the TB Monster
What’s fueling our darling TB surge? Well, according to WHO, five key culprits: malnutrition, HIV, alcohol use, smoking (especially among men—sorry fellas!), and diabetes. It’s like the who’s who of health disasters laid out for everyone to see. The sheer scale of these challenges looks daunting, and the WHO is calling for multisectoral action. In layman’s terms: “Please can we all just work together to sort this mess?”
In Conclusion: A Call to Arms (or, perhaps, a Call to Sanitize)
As we shake our heads at the unending complexities of modern health crises, one thing is clear: TB is here to stay unless we roll up our sleeves and turn things around. The WHO has urged all countries to fulfil their commitments and ramp up the tools we have against TB. Because, let’s be honest, no one asked for a sequel to the Tuberculosis saga—but here we are! So, grab your masks and those good old sanitizers, and let’s remember: sometimes, the past isn’t just a memory; it’s an unwelcome companion lurking in the corner. Stay safe, stay informed, and let’s put TB back in its box!
