UNITED NATIONS: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a sharp increase in global tuberculosis (TB) cases, with over 8 million people diagnosed in 2023—the highest number recorded since tracking began.
This upsurge marks TB’s likely return as the world’s deadliest infectious disease, surpassing COVID-19, with 1.25 million deaths recorded last year. This toll nearly doubles that of HIV-related deaths, underscoring TB’s ongoing impact, particularly in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific.
Key contributors to the global TB burden include India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan, which collectively account for more than half of all cases. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the high rates of preventable illness and death as “an outrage,” given the availability of diagnostic, preventive, and treatment resources. While TB infections are stabilizing, WHO highlighted challenges in tackling drug-resistant TB strains: of the estimated 400,000 cases last year, fewer than half received adequate treatment.
Advocacy groups, including Doctors Without Borders, continue pressing for greater accessibility to affordable TB diagnostics, urging US-based Cepheid to lower the cost of tests to $5 to enhance testing capacity in low-income countries. This initiative could prove vital to improving early detection and reducing transmission globally.
