SWITZERLAND — According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 10.6 million people were affected by tuberculosis (TB) in 2021, a 4.5% increase from 2020, and 1.6 million died from TB.
Furthermore, the burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) was found to rise by 3% between 2020 and 2021.
However, according to reports, this is the first time that the number of people infected with tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis has increased.
Along with many other healthcare services, TB services have been disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with serious consequences.
Furthermore, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe have made matters worse for vulnerable populations.
This resulted in a decrease in the number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis and an increase in the number of people untreated with tuberculosis.
TB is the world’s second deadliest infectious killer, after COVID-19. The disease is caused by bacteria that most often affect the lungs, but is both preventable and curable
The number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) has been observed to decrease from 7.1 million in 2019 to 5.8 million in 2020.
Although there was a partial recovery in 2021, it was still significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels.
As a result, the number of people developing tuberculosis increased, as did community transmission and TB deaths.
Furthermore, the number of people receiving treatment for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) decreased between 2019 and 2020.
In 2021, 161,746 people were reported to begin treatment for RR-TB, accounting for roughly one-third of those in need of treatment.
According to a new World Health Organization report, global spending on essential TB services fell from US$6 billion in 2019 to US$5.4 billion in 2021.
Domestic sources provided the majority of the funding used in 2021. International funding, however, remains critical in middle and low-income countries.
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (the Global Fund) is the primary source of global funds, with the United States Government being the largest contributor.
Notable achievements in TB fight
There have been few successes in the midst of stalled progress. Approximately 26.3 million people were reported to have received TB treatment between 2018 and 2021 at the UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
Bangladesh, Zambia, China, Brazil, and Uganda were reported to have the highest levels of treatment coverage in 2021, out of the 30 highest-burden countries.
Furthermore, the number of people receiving TB preventive treatment is expected to rebound in 2021, approaching 2019 levels.
Furthermore, over 10 million HIV-positive people have been reported to have received TB prevention treatment in the last four years.
Kenya, Namibia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Lesotho, Zambia, South Africa, and Ethiopia have all been reported to have exceeded the 2020 target of a 20% reduction in TB incidence compared to 2015.
Many countries have also increased their use of new WHO guidance and tools, resulting in earlier access to TB prevention and improved outcomes.
As a result, there was a 5% increase in the number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2021 compared to 2020.
In 2021, one hundred and nine countries used all-oral longer regimens and 92 shorter regimens for MDR/RR-TB treatment.
In addition, shorter rifamycin-based regimens for preventive TB treatment have become more widely available.
As a result, the report emphasizes the critical need for countries to restore access to essential TB services, increase investments, take multisectoral action to address determinants of TB epidemics and their socioeconomic consequences, and improve new diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines to prevent severe cases of TB disease and deaths.
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