Source: Channel News Asia | Editor: SS Kurniawan
KONTAN.CO.ID – GENEVA. Tuberculosis or TB cases are rising again globally for the first time in a decade, following the disruption of access to health services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO said on Thursday (14 October).
The setback has erased years of progress in tackling the curable disease, which affects millions of people around the world.
Tuberculosis is the second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19, which is caused by bacteria that most commonly attack the lungs. Like COVID-19, TB is transmitted through the air by an infected person, for example, through coughing.
“This is alarming news that should serve as a global warning of the urgent need for investment and innovation,” WHO Director-General Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
“To close the gap in diagnosis, treatment and care for the millions of people afflicted with this ancient but preventable and treatable disease,” he said. Channel News Asia.
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TB patients rose sharply
In its annual TB report for 2020, the WHO said progress in eradicating TB had become worse due to an increase in the number of undiagnosed and untreated cases.
WHO estimates that currently around 4.1 million people have TB but have not been officially diagnosed or declared, up sharply from 2.9 million in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation for people with TB, as health funds have been diverted to tackle the coronavirus and people struggle to access care due to the lockdown.
There has also been a decline in the number of people seeking TB preventive treatment, from 2.8 million people in 2020, down 21% compared to 2019.
“This report underscores our fear that the disruption of critical health services because of the pandemic could begin to reveal years of progress against tuberculosis,” Tedros said.
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