WHO has revealed its plan for eliminating TB in 33 countries.
Tuberculosis is the second biggest killer due to a single infectious agent in the world, with a reported 1.3 million people dying from the disease in 2012, and 8.6 million falling ill. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently announced a plan to eradicate this deadly disease from 33 countries which do not experience it at epidemic levels.
WHO will work with the European Respiratory Society (ERS) to eliminate TB from ‘low-burden’ countries, those with fewer than 100 cases per million people. The strategy, which will launch in 2016, aims to have the number of TB cases down to less than 10 per million people per year by 2035. The long-term goal is to eliminate TB (less than 1 case per million people) by 2050.
These low-burden countries include 20 European nations and seven in North America. With universal health systems and high standards of living TB has almost been eliminated from many developed countries.
“Powerful antibiotics and better living standards have almost pushed the disease out of many high-income countries. But we still have not succeeded. And if we do the wrong things now, TB could rebound, including with more drug-resistant forms,” says Professor G.B. Migliori from ERS.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection spread from person to person through the air by carriers coughing, sneezing or spitting. Around one third of the world’s population are infected with TB bacteria but don’t become ill or spread the disease. There is a 10% chance someone infected with TB will become ill, though this figure is higher in vulnerable populations such as those with a compromised immune system.
Among the most vulnerable groups are poor or homeless people, migrants, members of ethnic minorities, drug users, and those who are incarcerated. Many of these groups face barriers accessing treatment.
“Low TB-burden countries already have the means to drive down TB cases dramatically by 2035,” says Dr Hiroki Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General. “Universal health coverage, which ensures everyone has access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship as a result, is the bedrock. The key is to target smart TB interventions towards the people who need them most.”
Professor Migliori added, “if we get it right, and recommit to fighting the disease, both at home and abroad, TB will eventually no longer be a public health threat.”