Some 8.2 million new cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in the world last year, the highest number ever recorded since the WHO began its follow-up almost 30 years ago. The World Health Organization’s annual report on tuberculosis released on Tuesday highlights «mixed progress made in the global fight against the disease, including persistent difficulties such as major underfunding», she said in a statement. While the number of deaths related to tuberculosis had declined from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023, the total number of people contracting the disease has increased.
Nearly 8.2 million new cases were diagnosed in 2023, a record since follow-up began in 1995. This is a «notable increase» compared to the 7.5 million cases reported in 2022, and as a result tuberculosis is again the infectious disease that causes the highest number of deaths, thus surpassing Covid-19, says the WHO. However, not all new cases are diagnosed and WHO estimates that about 10.8 million people actually contracted the disease last year. «The fact that tuberculosis continues to reach and kill so many people is a scandal, while we have the necessary tools to prevent, detect and treat it», said WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in the statement. «WHO urges all countries to fulfil the concrete commitments they have made to expand the use of these tools and end tuberculosis», he said.
The increase in cases between 2022 and 2023 largely reflects population growth, according to the report. The incidence rate of tuberculosis (new cases per 100,000 inhabitants) in 2023 was 134, a very small increase (0.2%) compared to 2022. 30 Countries Most of the people who develop tuberculosis each year are found in 30 countries. And five countries together accounted for 56% of the world total last year: India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), Philippines (6.8%) and Pakistan (6.3%). According to the report, 55% of people who developed the disease were men, 33% were women and 12% were children or young adolescents. The WHO also points out that the rate of therapeutic success in the treatment of multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MR-RR) has now reached 68%, compared to 64% in 2020 and 50% in 2012. But of the 400,000 people estimated to have developed MR-RR tuberculosis, only 44% were diagnosed and treated in 2023.
