TB Is The World’s Second Leading Infectious Killer After… – WHO
...Says 2.5 Million Africans Contracted TB In 2022
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the Regional Director for Africa at the World Health Organization, has said that around 2.5 million Africans, resulting to one person every 13 seconds, got tuberculosis in 2022.
Dr Moeti stated this in her remarks in commemoration of World TB Day, 2024
Additionally, according to Moeti, 424,000 people died from tuberculosis in 2022—one person dying from the disease every minute—despite the fact that it is treatable and avoidable.
The expert said a total of 1.3m people died from TB in 2022, including 167,000 people with HIV.
She explained that globally, TB is the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV and AIDS).
“Challenges such as delayed diagnosis, limited access to new tools and technologies, and the ongoing threat of multi-drug resistant TB require continued vigilance and sustained efforts.
“Stakeholders can join us by providing resources, enhancing community engagement, conducting research, and forming private-sector partnerships. Through this unified action, we can address the challenges of TB in Africa and achieve our goal of its elimination as a public health threat.
“I urge all our Member States to prioritize a multi-faceted approach that addresses the root causes of the disease while bolstering our efforts in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
” I urge health leaders to intensify their commitment to strengthening health systems, ensuring equitable access to TB care, and scaling up innovative interventions,” she concluded.
World Tuberculosis Day is marked on March 24 every year to create awareness about the impact of the disease.
According to the WHO, TB is a disease caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that often affects the lungs.
The disease is spread through the air when people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit. A person needs to inhale only a few germs to become infected.
