Credit WHO
# 7889
Nearly twenty years ago the World Health Organization declared tuberculosis a public health emergency, and that organization (along with many others) has been working towards a goal of reducing the number of TB related deaths in half by 2014.
Today, WHO has today release their 18th global report on tuberculosis, which outlines the progress to date, and the challenges ahead in the global battle. Using their @WHO twitter account, WHO began tweeting details early this morning.
A few excepts from the Executive Summary, and then links to and excerpts from the press release follow:
COUNTDOWN TO 2015: key findings
On track:
- The rate of new TB cases has been falling worldwide for about a decade, achieving the MDG global target. TB incidence rates are also falling in all six WHO regions. The rate of decline (2% per year) remains slow.
- Globally by 2012, the TB mortality rate had been reduced by 45% since 1990. The target to reduce deaths by 50% by 2015 is within reach.
- Two WHO regions have already achieved the 2015 targets for reduced incidence, prevalence and mortality: the Region of the Americas and the Western Pacific Region.
- Of the 22 high TB burden countries (HBCs) that account for about 80% of the world’s TB cases, seven have met all 2015 targets for reductions in TB incidence, prevalence and mortality. Four more HBCs are on track to do so by 2015.
Off track:
- By 2012, the level of active TB disease in the community (prevalence) had fallen by 37% globally since 1990. The target of a 50% reduction by 2015 is not expected to be achieved.
- The African and European regions are currently not on track to achieve the mortality and prevalence targets.
- Among the 22 HBCs, 11 are not on track to reduce incidence, prevalence and mortality in line with targets. Reasons include resource constraints, conflict and instability, and generalized HIV epidemics.
- Progress towards targets for diagnosis and treatment of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is far off-track. Worldwide and in most countries with a high burden of MDR-TB, less than 25% of the people estimated to have MDR-TB were detected in 2012.
- Many countries have made considerable progress to address the TB/HIV co-epidemic. However, global-level targets for HIV testing among TB patients and provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to those who are HIV-positive have not been reached.
And the press release:
Gains in tuberculosis control at risk due to 3 million missed patients and drug resistance
Progress in TB control can be substantially accelerated by addressing these challenges
News release
23 October 2013 | LONDON/GENEVA - Tuberculosis (TB) treatment has saved the lives of more than 22 million people, according to the WHO "Global tuberculosis report 2013" published today. The report also reveals that the number of people ill with TB fell in 2012 to 8.6 million, with global TB deaths also decreasing to 1.3 million.
The new data confirm that the world is on track to meet the 2015 UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of reversing TB incidence, along with the target of a 50% reduction in the mortality rate by 2015 (compared to 1990). A special "Countdown to 2015" supplement to this year’s report provides full information on the progress to the international TB targets. It details if the world and countries with a high burden of TB are “on-track” or “off-track” and what can be done rapidly to accelerate impact as the 2015 deadline approaches.
You can download the 2013 report (either in sections, or in its entirety) at the following link:
Global tuberculosis report 2013
This is the eighteenth global report on tuberculosis (TB) published by WHO in a series that started in 1997. It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the TB epidemic and progress in implementing and financing TB prevention, care and control at global, regional and country levels using data reported by 197 countries and territories that account for over 99% of the world’s TB cases.
