The challenge of ending tuberculosis

BECAUSE of the present preoccupation with the pandemic, especially the recent surge, not many are aware that tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In fact, prior to Covid-19, TB was the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about a quarter of the world's population is infected with TB. What is ironic is that the disease is curable and preventable. About 85 percent of people who develop TB can successfully be treated. Infections can also be reduced through multisectoral action to address TB determinants such as poverty, undernutrition, HIV infection, smoking and diabetes. The first step, however, is to track and diagnose the carriers.