Tuberculosis
An estimated one third of humanity (approximately two billion people) is infected with tuberculosis (TB). Amongst those carrying the pathogen, around 8 million persons come down with clinical disease every year; and out of these, about 1.6 million die, not counting tuberculosis-related deaths in TB-HIV co-infected individuals. Over 1.5 million new TB cases per year occur in sub-Saharan Africa, nearly three million in South-East Asia and over a quarter of a million in Eastern Europe. In 1993, WHO declared tuberculosis a global emergency, reflecting the magnitude of the concern about the TB epidemic. It is estimated that between 2000 and 2020, nearly one billion people will be newly infected, 200 million will get sick, and 35 million will die from TB – if control measures are not significantly improved. More
WHO Position papers
Further information
Last updated: 25 January 2008