A record 8.2 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases were diagnosed worldwide in 2023, marking the highest incidence since the World Health Organization (WHO) began monitoring the disease in 1995.
The WHO's Global Tuberculosis Report 2024, released on Tuesday, indicates a troubling trend with "mixed progress" in combating TB, highlighting ongoing issues like significant underfunding.
Despite a decrease in TB-related deaths from 1.32 million in 2022 to 1.25 million last year, the overall number of infections rose sharply from 7.5 million to 8.2 million.
The WHO estimates that approximately 10.8 million people contracted TB last year, suggesting that many cases go undiagnosed.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed outrage at the continued toll of TB, emphasizing that effective tools for prevention, detection, and treatment are available. He urged nations to fulfill their commitments to combat the disease.
The increase in cases is largely attributed to global population growth, with the TB incidence rate reaching 134 new cases per 100,000 people—a slight increase of 0.2% from the previous year.
The disease remains particularly prevalent in 30 high-burden countries, with India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan accounting for over half of all cases.
The report reveals that 55% of those diagnosed were men, while women made up 33% and children represented 12%. Key risk factors for new TB cases include undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, diabetes, and smoking.
Funding for TB prevention and care remains critically low, with only $5.7 billion available out of a targeted $22 billion needed annually. This shortfall raises concerns as TB likely regained its status as the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent in 2023 after being surpassed by COVID-19 during the pandemic.
