The number of TB-related deaths decreased from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023, while the total number of people infected with the disease increased to an estimated 10.8 million in 2023. According to the report, 55% of people who developed tuberculosis were men, 33% were women, and 12% were children and young adolescents.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “It is a scandal that TB still kills and sickens so many people when we have the tools to prevent, detect and treat it.” he said.
The agency stated that global milestones and targets for reducing the burden of disease were derailed and significant progress was needed to achieve other targets set for 2027.
Low- and middle-income countries, which bear 98 percent of the burden of the disease, faced significant financing shortages.
In 2023, the difference between the estimated number of new tuberculosis cases and the number of reported cases decreased to approximately 2.7 million, down from COVID-19 pandemic levels of approximately 4 million in 2020 and 2021.
WHO stated that the multidrug-resistant form of the disease remains a public health crisis.
TUBERCULOSIS SYMPTOMS
The first symptoms of this airborne virus, which can be spread through cough, sneezing or saliva, can be confused with a cold.