The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday that tuberculosis (TB) remains the top infectious disease killer worldwide, causing an estimated 1.23 million deaths in 2024. This marks a three percent drop from 2023, with cases falling by nearly two percent. The agency noted that 10.7 million people became ill with TB last year, including 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women, and 1.2 million children.
TB spreads through the air via coughs, sneezes, or spit from infected people and mainly affects the lungs. It is both preventable and treatable. WHO official Tereza Kasaeva stated that this is the first decline in TB cases and deaths since the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted health services.
However, progress is at risk due to stagnant funding. Only $5.9 billion was available last year for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, far below the $22 billion annual goal set for 2027. Kasaeva called for stronger political support, steady investments, and global teamwork to end TB.
According to WHO, India bore the heaviest load, with 25 percent of global cases, followed by Indonesia (10 percent), the Philippines (6.8 percent), China (6.5 percent), and Pakistan (6.3 percent). Key risk factors include undernutrition, HIV, diabetes, smoking, and alcohol disorders. TB killed 150,000 people with HIV in 2024.
Positive steps include a record 8.3 million new diagnoses and treatments, with success rates rising to 71 percent. Since 2000, timely care has saved 83 million lives. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that over a million annual deaths from a curable disease is unacceptable.
Advances in research show promise: 63 diagnostic tests, 29 drugs, and 18 vaccines in development, including six in final trials. The Global Fund highlighted shorter treatments, better prevention, and AI tools for faster detection, especially in low-resource areas.
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