Global TB Report of WHO (World Health Organization) Presents Tragic Failure of End TB Target

Global TB (Tuberculosis) Report of WHO (World Health Organization) augments the grave concern of Stop TB Partnership and necessitates increased focus and funding to save the lives of million TB sufferers. The data of World Health Organization (WHO) was released on 14 October 2021, Geneva, as part of the 2021 Global Tuberculosis Report, which topographies the disease trends and the epidemic responses of more than 200 countries and areas.

For the first time in over a decade (since 2005), TB deaths have amplified drastically due to reduced access to TB care during the pandemic. The death rates have reached as high as 1.5 million worldwide in 2020, an upward trend that is expected to worsen in 2021.

Tragic Failure of TB

Moreover, among 10 million TB cases in 2020, only 5.8 million were diagnosed and reported, thereby reflecting a 18% decline, back to the level of 2012. The report also states that 16 countries tallied for 93% of this reduction, with 3 Asian countries (India, Indonesia, and the Philippines) being worst affected.

The report henceforth presents a tragic reality of UNHLM (the United Nations High-Level Meeting) failure on TB targets by the end of 2020.

The Stop TB Partnership in accordance with this, also released new data in late September 2021, that illustrates the shortfalls of funding and its devastating influence on efforts to end TB by 2030. This further mandates for almost doubling the funds (than currently available) for TB.

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"Unfortunately, today's report confirms what we all feared—that more and more people are dying from TB. We now see more than 4,100 people dying from TB every single day. This is not a prediction; it is a reality. The COVID-19 pandemic combined with low political will and appallingly low levels of funding have reversed hard-fought gains in the fight against this age-old disease. People are dying because we are failing to empower and support them and failing to ensure they have access to the preventive therapy, diagnostic tools, and treatments they need. This is simply unacceptable. It's time to move beyond empty promises, roll up our sleeves, and put our money where our mouth is. I am afraid we are running out of time, and we need speed, money, and commitment today if we want to make a dent in the TB epidemic," says Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership.

Source-Medindia