Covid-19's Reign as Top Global Infectious Threater is Overthrown by an Ancient Enemy
The most lethal infectious disease worldwide has regained its dominant position. This week, the World Health Organization announced that tuberculosis (TB) has surpassed COVID-19 as the leading cause of death from infectious diseases globally, as per their latest report.
The WHO published its Global Tuberculosis Report on Tuesday, analyzing the impact of the bacterial disease on humanity. The report revealed that 8.2 million individuals were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023, marking a historical record high in the WHO's monitoring of TB starting from 1995. In total, about 10.8 million individuals developed TB last year, and approximately 1.25 million TB-related deaths were reported.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his discontent in a statement, saying, "The fact that TB continues to claim and harm so many lives is a disgrace, considering we have the means to prevent, detect, and treat it. WHO urges all countries to honor their pledges to enhance the utilization of these tools and put an end to TB."
TB is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is transmitted through the air and often impacts the lungs, although it can infect other body parts as well. Symptoms of acute TB typically include chest pains, chills, and coughing up blood. However, the bacteria can sometimes lie dormant, causing symptoms much later when the body's immune system weakens due to other reasons. People living with HIV are particularly susceptible to severe, life-threatening cases of TB.
TB's death toll in 2023 surpassed that of any other single infectious disease. Although COVID-19 remains a significant health concern, reported deaths have significantly decreased since 2022, both in the U.S. and globally, according to data collected by the WHO (recorded COVID-19 deaths were 320,000 in 2023). Despite this improvement, the number of TB-related deaths slightly increased compared to 2022 (which saw 1.32 million TB-related deaths). Additionally, some positive trends have emerged lately.
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected TB screening and prevention programs, resulting in an increase in the gap between diagnosed and actual new cases of TB. However, this gap decreased in 2023 to an estimated 2.7 million cases, down from the 4 million missed cases during the pandemic. Moreover, the coverage of preventive TB treatment for individuals living with HIV has improved over time. On the downside, there is a rise in drug-resistant TB, which poses an additional threat. In 2023, approximately 400,000 people were diagnosed with multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB, but only about 44% of patients received the necessary treatment. The success of treatment for these challenging cases has increased, now reaching 68%. Unfortunately, TB has also reemerged in the U.S., and global efforts to control and prevent TB are lagging behind the WHO's recommended targets. Furthermore, research into interventions like enhanced TB drugs and vaccines is seriously underfunded. Much more needs to be done to combat this major health hazard.
"We face numerous formidable challenges: funding shortages, catastrophic financial burden on affected individuals, climate change, conflict, migration, displacement, pandemics, and drug-resistant tuberculosis – a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance," said Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO's Global Tuberculosis Program, in a statement. "It is essential that we collaborate across all sectors and stakeholders to tackle these pressing issues and intensify our efforts."
The WHO emphasizes the need for increased utilization of prevention, detection, and treatment tools in the fight against TB, envisioning a future where the disease is no longer a major health concern. With advancements in technology and science, innovative solutions like enhanced TB drugs and vaccines could potentially revolutionize the way we combat this persistent health hazard.
