# 6233
World TB day is March 24nd, and the ECDC, the World Health Organization, the CDC, along with many other partners (including the National TB Controllers Assoc., Stop TB USA, and the global Stop TB Partnership) have joined together around the globe to raise awareness and promote strategies to reduce TB around the world.
Today, the ECDC and WHO released a 172 page Tuberculosis Surveillance And Monitoring In Europe report for 2012, that finds some encouraging signs, but also cautions on the increased incidence of extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB in parts of the EU.
Here is the announcement from the ECDC.
19 Mar 2012
ECDC
In 2010, the EU/EEA countries reported nearly 74 000 tuberculosis cases – around 7% less than 2009. While the notifications for multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR TB) have been stable over the past 5 years, the proportion of extensively drug-resistant patients among this group rose from 8.2% in 2009 to 13.2% in 2010 in the EU/EEA, possibly due to increased reporting.
These rising numbers pose a serious threat in the attempt to eliminate TB, highlighting the importance of early detection and adequate treatment of tuberculosis patients in the region.
ECDC Director Marc Sprenger, stresses that “Countries with low incidence of TB – which means less than 20 patients per 100 000 population – face a particular challenge in taking the final step towards elimination of the disease as TB often concentrates in big cities. In this setting, key populations like people who inject drugs, homeless people and migrants are disproportionally affected by TB. That is why we have to exchange best practices from across Europe: if TB services are not tailored towards the needs of urban risk groups there is a continuing risk of higher rates of TB in general and drug-resistant TB in particular.”
On the occasion of World TB Day 2012, ECDC supports simultaneous Urban TB Control events in Barcelona, Milan, London and Rotterdam on 22 and 23 March.
Join us on Tuesday, 20 March, when ECDC and WHO/Euro host a joint Twitter chat on the current TB situation in Europe. Use the hashtag #TBchat.
Read more:
Read the full press release
The full ECDC-WHO report Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2012
ECDC report Towards TB elimination A follow-up to the Framework Action Plan to fight TB in the EU
