While efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB) have made progress, more action is needed to reach global targets and close gaps in TB care and prevention, a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) found.
The report found that since 2000, global efforts have decreased the TB mortality rate and saved 53 million lives. However, TB was still the most prominent infectious killer in 2016 and the main cause of death related to antimicrobial resistance and the in people with HIV.
In 2016, approximately 10.4 million new cases of TB occurred, 64 percent of which took place in seven countries with India experiencing the most cases. An estimated 1.7 million people died from HIV, a 5 percent decrease from 2015.
“The sheer numbers of deaths and suffering speak for themselves – we are not accelerating fast enough,” Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO Global TB Program, said. “Prompt action towards universal health coverage and social protection, as well as breakthroughs in research and innovations – will be critical to enable access to patient-centered care of the highest standards for all, especially the poorest, most disadvantaged people everywhere.”
The report called for progress on reporting and diagnosing TB cases, using antiretroviral therapy and investments in low- and middle-income countries. WHO identified two priority risk groups: people living with HIV and children under five years old.
For the first time, the Global TB Report included results from a new multi-sectoral monitoring framework beyond the health sector. In an effort to increase multi-sectoral participation, WHO will hold the WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in the Sustainable Development Era on Nov. 16 and 17 in Moscow, followed by the first UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on TB in 2018, which will seek commitments from heads of state.