Global Rise In Tuberculosis Cases, WHO Blames COVID-19

Nov, 2022 - By SMI

According to the UN health office, more than 10 million individuals worldwide were afflicted with tuberculosis in 2021, which accounts for about 4.5 percent of increase than previous year ending up death of 1.6 million people.

According to WHO the number of cases reported this year has globally rose in years, these counts of cases even include the multi-drug resistant TB.

The research study published in journal BMC Medicine reads from the number of countries analyzed more than half of them have children affected disproportionately, almost half of the countries have risk factor of sex and aged 65 or above are affected in more than two third countries.

Dr. Mel Spigelman who is the president pf TB Alliance which is non-profitable stated in this regard that TB progress of more than a decade had lost in the COVID-19 spread in 2020.

WHO has blamed COVID-19 for the rise in TB cases reasoning that the pandemic had hindered the diagnosis and treatment of TB all over. The progress achieved in TB globally before pandemic has been slowed, stalled or reversed.

The number of newly TB cases reported in 2019 was 7 million which fell to 5.8 million in 2020, according to WHO report. The factor that led to such a difference in reporting of cases was pandemic situation where people skipped approaching to health facilities in fear of covid infection and abiding the lockdown rules.

Pandemic also ruled over the expanses of families, the global down of economy made it difficult for many to cover TB expense in diagnosing and treatment. In regard to this emergency a call to lower the prices of TB treatment course to cost no higher than $500 has been made by Dr. Hannah Spencer of South Africa.

Tuberculosis is the world’s second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19. TB is most common in developing countries accounting for more than 95percent cases.