WHO reveal decline in new TB cases is insufficient to eradicate disease by 2030

In 2016 there were 6,165 reported tuberculosis (TB) cases in the UK and 721 of these were right here in the West Midlands. A new report published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) reveals the current rate of decline may be too slow to rid us of TB anytime soon.

On Saturday 24 March, also known as World TB Day, researchers led by Dr Elizabeth Fullam from the University of Warwick ran a public information stand at the Herbert Museum and Art Gallery in Coventry. Their aim was to raise awareness of the infection and of its primary symptoms such as coughing up blood and chest pain. In far too many cases, these are ignored until it’s too late for not only the patient but also the people they have been in frequent contact with.

The disease is caused by the small air-borne bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When inhaled repeatedly, this bacterium can cause infection. Due to a larger proportion of the population choosing to travel to places where the disease is rampant and more drug-resistant strains of the bacterium surfacing, the disease continues to kill nearly 1.7 million a year. Furthermore, the cases of XDR-TB (Extensively Drug-Resistant TB) among MDR-TB (Multi-Drug-Resistant TB) in the European Union/Economic Area has increased by 6.7% from 2012.

The current rate of decline may be too slow to rid us of TB anytime soon

It remains vital to note that infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis disproportionately affect countries that are less economically developed, with 95% of cases and deaths occurring in the developing world. The unfortunate stigma surrounding infection, especially for women, continues to be a hindrance as many around the world see the disease as shameful or even a curse. Poverty, overcrowding, and malnutrition are still the major causes of TB, suggesting that the big-picture may involve understanding or alleviating the pressures facing less economically developed countries.

However, a report published by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe claims that the number of new patients affected by the disease has been decreasing at an average rate of 4.3% annually. Despite the promising statistic, this trend is insufficient to fully eradicate the disease by 2030, as was envisioned by the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030. Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, explains that “it is not enough to ‘walk’ towards ending TB, as this way we would arrive too late for too many people.”