The latest Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report states we can now diagnose and treat about 7 million more people with TB in 2018 – up from 6.4 million in 2017.
This represents a milestone towards the United Nations political targets on TB, to which countries, including Nepal, committed to in 2018, and it shows that the “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” initiative, undertaken jointly by WHO, Stop TB Partnership, and the Global Fund, is working.
TB is contagious and airborne – one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. Every day, over 4000 people around the world lose their lives to TB - a preventable and curable disease.
In Nepal, of the estimated 45,000 people who fell with TB in 2018, only 32,474 cases were reported. Around 12,000 cases are missed and are not reported to access quality care in our country. Additionally, drug-resistant TB continues to pose a dangerous health threat to our populations.
Globally, 7 million people were diagnosed and treated for TB - up from 6.4 million in 2017 – enabling the world to meet one of the milestones towards the United Nations political declaration targets on TB.
WHO’s latest Global TB Report says that 2018 also saw a reduction in the number of TB deaths: 1.5 million people died from TB in 2018, down from 1.6 million in 2017. The number of new cases of TB has been declining steadily in recent years.
However, the burden remains high among low-income and marginalized populations: around 10 million people developed TB in 2018. Ending TB requires a concerted effort by all countries, all sectors, all communities.