Global death toll from tuberculosis increased

Geneva-Sana

Today, the World Health Organization announced that the number of deaths from tuberculosis worldwide has risen for the first time in a decade due to the Covid-19 epidemic, which has hampered access to health services around the world.

"This is worrying news that should serve as a wake-up call about the urgent need for investments and innovation to fill the gaps in diagnosis, treatment and care for the millions of people affected by this ancient, preventable and treatable disease," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

The organization stated in its annual report on tuberculosis for the year 2020 that the progress made towards eliminating the disease suffered a setback due to the increasing number of cases that go undiagnosed and treated.

WHO estimates that about 4.1 million people suffer from tuberculosis but have not been diagnosed or officially declared infected, compared to 2.9 million in 2019.

And Covid made the situation worse for people with tuberculosis, as funds allocated to the health sector were redirected to deal with the Corona virus, while people faced difficulties in obtaining the necessary care due to the closure measures.

According to the report, about 1.5 million people died of tuberculosis last year, including 214,000 people living with HIV.

Most tuberculosis cases are recorded in only 30 countries, mostly poor countries in Africa and Asia, and more than half of all cases are recorded among adult men, with women accounting for 33 percent of cases, and children 11 percent.