The number of tuberculosis cases rose from 2019 to 2021, reversing years of progress as the COVID-19 pandemic hampered access to treatment and testing, the World Health Organization said Thursday. .
“For the first time in almost 20 years, WHO is reporting an increase in the number of people falling ill with TB and drug-resistant TB, and an increase in TB-related deaths,” said Teresa Casaeva, Director General of the United Nations Health Organization. I was. Global Tuberculosis Program.
More than 10 million people will get tuberculosis in 2021, a 4.5% increase from 2020, according to a WHO report released Thursday. Approximately 450,000 cases involve individuals infected with drug-resistant M. tuberculosis strains, an increase of 3% from 2020 to 2021. Most of these cases were reported in India, Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines.
The COVID-19 pandemic “continues to adversely affect access to tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment,” said WHO. Her COVID-19 restrictions, such as lockdowns and physical distancing, have resulted in fewer people being diagnosed and receiving the treatment they need. Fewer people are being diagnosed and treated for TB, and more people are unknowingly spreading TB to others. As a result, more than a decade of progress has been lost, said Dr. Mel Spiegelman, president of the nonprofit TB Alliance.
Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that attack the lungs. The disease is spread primarily through the air, and after COVID-19, tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease in the world. It mainly affects adults, especially those who are malnourished or immunocompromised in developing countries. Over 95% of cases are in developing countries.
The global economic downturn during the pandemic exacerbated the problem, especially in developing countries, as families faced unbearable costs for treatment.
Dr. Hannah Spencer of Doctors Without Borders in South Africa has proposed lowering the price of tuberculosis treatment below $500 to help low-income patients. WHO also suggested that more countries should pay for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a news release on Thursday, “If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that through solidarity, determination, innovation and the equitable use of tools, serious health outcomes can be achieved.” “Let’s apply these lessons to tuberculosis. It’s time to stop this longtime killer.”
Some information in this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
