tuberculosis In 2023, it will once again be the leading infectious cause of death worldwide. This caused approximately 1.25 million deaths in 2023including 161,000 HIV positive, as the WHO warned in the presentation of a new epidemiological report showing that tuberculosis is once again a major cause of deaths worldwide, surpassing those caused by covid and almost doubling those linked to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The report also noted a record number of new cases of tuberculosis since it began to be recorded worldwide in 1995, with some 8.2 million new diagnoses in 2023, 700,000 more than those reported l previous year.
However, he stressed that this figure represents a drop compared to 2022, which confirms the decline recorded that year, after two consecutive years of growth, which coincided with “the worst years of the pandemic”.
Indeed, the number of people suffering from tuberculosis rose to 10.8 million, a “small increase» compared to 2022, and of which 55% are men, compared to 33% women and 12% children.
“The fact that tuberculosis still kills and infects so many people is scandalous even though we have the tools necessary to prevent, detect and treat it. WHO urges all countries to meet their commitments of the concrete steps they have taken to expand the use of these tools and end TB,” said the WHO Director-General, Tedros Abhanom Ghebreyesus.
Alarm in Africa and Asia
The regions most affected by new cases are Southeast Asia, with 45% of cases, and Africa, with 24%, while Eastern Mediterranean countries account for 9%, followed by America , with 3.2%, and Europe, with 2.1%. .
However, eight countries account for two-thirds of all cases worldwide, with India leading with 26%, followed by Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Most cases are linked to five factors such as malnutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders or smoking, especially in men and diabetic patients.
These data are part of an attempt by countries to recover their TB services after the pandemic, although they are also linked to the multidrug-resistant tuberculosiswhich “continues to be a public health crisis” with more than 400,000 cases, less than half of which have been diagnosed and treated during 2023.
More aid to Africa
Kasaeva highlighted the lack of funding for prevention and treatment programs tuberculosis worldwide which decreased in 2023 and “is still well below the target”, since only 5.7 billion dollars (5.275 million euros) out of the 22.0 billion dollars (around 20.36 billion euros ) necessary are available.
In this sense, he warned that low and middle income countries bear 98% of the the burden of tuberculosisand that they face “a significant shortage” of funding, since 80% of it comes from domestic sources, although he stressed that the United States remains the largest bilateral donor for tuberculosis, with ” efforts and funding “that increase” each year.
The program director also regretted that research into the disease “continues to be seriously underfunded” with only a fifth of what is needed.
The report indicates that about half of households affected by tuberculosis in lLow- and middle-income countries face the “catastrophic costs” of accessing diagnosis and treatment, which can amount to 20 percent of annual family income.
What is tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis or TB, as it is called in English, is a disease caused by bacteria. Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also attack other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, tuberculosis can be fatal.
Not all people infected with tuberculosis bacteria they get sick Therefore, there are two conditions related to tuberculosis: latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease. Both can be treated.
Without treatment, latent TB infection can progress to TB. tuberculosis. And if not treated properly, tuberculosis can be fatal.
What vaccines are available?
BCG or bacillus Calmette-Guérin This is a vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). This vaccine is not commonly used in many countries, but it is often given to infants and young children in countries where tuberculosis is common. The BCG vaccine does not always protect against tuberculosis.
Finally, he declared that it is “a very encouraging moment» concerning the prospects for the development of new vaccines against tuberculosis, since currently There are up to 15 in developmentsix of which are in the third phase of clinical studies.
By 2028, it is expected to have at least one new effective vaccine against tuberculosis. The WHO says it is very optimistic about its ability to achieve this goal, although it emphasizes that “we could have more”. “Clinical trials are underway in countries with the highest TB burden, and we are closely monitoring the preliminary results, which raises hope,” he added.
Gregorio Marañón works on a biomarker
The researchers of the Infectious Diseases Section of the Pediatric Department of the Gregorio Marañón Hospital, of the public health network of the Community of Madrid, and belonging to the area of Infectious Diseases of the Biomedical Research Center Network (CIBER), published new findings on the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis using plasma biomarkers in the journal Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and infection. The results of the study carried out by the team led by Dr. Marisa Navarro They represent a promising advance in the diagnosis of pediatric tuberculosis, with a more precise and accessible disease detection strategy.
THE childhood tuberculosis It is one of the major global health problems, although it is considered a preventable and curable disease. The main obstacle to its control lies in the difficulties of access to diagnostic tests in regions where the prevalence of the disease is higher.
