Tuberculosis Resurgence: WHO Reports Record Diagnoses

The World Health Organization reports a record 8 million tuberculosis cases, marking TB as the top infectious disease killer again. The highest impacts are in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific. Advocacy groups urge biotech company Cepheid to lower testing costs to boost global accessibility.

The World Health Organization has revealed that over 8 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis in the past year, setting a new record since the agency began tracking data. This resurgence positions TB once again as the leading infectious disease killer, surpassing even COVID-19 figures from the pandemic era.

According to WHO, approximately 1.25 million people succumbed to TB last year, a number almost twice the fatalities attributed to HIV in 2023. Suffering is most pronounced in regions like Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific, with countries such as India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan accounting for more than half of global TB cases.

Leading advocacy groups, including Doctors Without Borders, have issued calls for American company Cepheid to reduce the price of TB testing to $5 per test to improve availability in economically challenged countries. This initiative aims at enhancing global access to TB testing, which remains crucial for managing and controlling the disease.

(With inputs from agencies.)