Around 8.2 million new cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in 2023, the highest number ever recorded by WHO.
- Around 8.2 million new cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in 2023 compared to 7.5 million the previous year.
- It is the infectious disease that causes the greatest number of deaths in 2023, surpassing Covid-19.
- India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and Pakistan are the most affected countries in the world.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm. Tuberculosis, an infectious disease that most often affects the lungs, showed a further increase in cases in 2023. Around 8.2 million new cases of tuberculosis were recorded, according to its latest report. This is the highest number recorded since the organization began tracking the disease in 1995.
Tuberculosis: more than 10 million people live with the disease
With 8.2 million new cases recorded worldwide in 2023, tuberculosis has made a significant increase compared to the 7.5 million cases reported the previous year. “Which places tuberculosis once again as the main deadly infectious disease in 2023, surpassing Covid-19”specifies the WHO in its press release of October 29, 2024.
In total, the agency estimates that approximately 10.8 million people were living with the respiratory infection. On the other hand, an encouraging sign has been spotted: the number of deaths linked to tuberculosis has decreased from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million in 2023.
The report also notes a significant disparity between countries. India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), Philippines (6.8%) and Pakistan (6.3%) together accounted for 56% of the burden of tuberculosis worldwide. Another observation: 55% of patients were men, 33% were women and 12% children or young adolescents.
“The fact that tuberculosis continues to reach and kill so many people is a scandal”
The WHO has identified five risk factors for tuberculosis by studying newly diagnosed cases: undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking and diabetes. “Tackling these issues, as well as key determinants such as poverty and GDP per capita, requires coordinated multi-sectoral action”writes the agency.
The World Health Organization is calling on government and health authorities to act to improve care and the fight against tuberculosis. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the agency, adds: “It is a scandal that tuberculosis continues to affect and kill so many people, even though we have the tools to prevent, detect and treat it. WHO urges all countries to fulfill the concrete commitments that “They took to expand the use of these tools and end tuberculosis.”
