WHO: Over 8 Million Infected with Tuberculosis in 2023

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that more than eight million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) last year, marking the highest recorded number since the agency began monitoring the disease.

According to the new report, about 1.25 million individuals died from pulmonary tuberculosis, a figure nearly double that of deaths caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in 2023.

Despite these alarming statistics, global TB-related deaths continue to decline, and the number of newly reported cases has begun to stabilize, as reported by the Associated Press.

The agency highlighted that among the estimated 400,000 individuals diagnosed with drug-resistant tuberculosis last year, less than half received proper diagnosis and treatment.

It's important to note that tuberculosis is caused by airborne bacteria, predominantly affecting the lungs. Estimates suggest that around one-quarter of the world's population is infected with TB, although only 5 to 10 percent of these individuals exhibit symptoms.

Advocacy groups, including Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), have called upon the American company Cepheid, which produces TB diagnostic tests primarily used in low-income countries, to reduce the cost to $5 per test to enhance accessibility.

Earlier this month, Médecins Sans Frontières, along with 150 global health partners, sent an open letter to Cepheid urging the company to “prioritize individual lives” and urgently assist in making tuberculosis testing more widely available worldwide.