Tuberculosis is the leading cause of infectious mortality in the world

tuberculosis In 2023, it has again become the leading infectious cause of death in the world. This approximately caused 1.25 million deaths in 2023including 161,000 who had HIV, WHO warned in the presentation of a new epidemiological report showing that tuberculosis has again become the leading cause of death worldwide, surpassing deaths caused by covid and almost double those associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The report also showed a record of new TB cases since it was reported worldwide in 1995, with about 8.2 million new diagnoses recorded in 2023, an increase of 700,000 from the previous year.

However, he stressed that this figure represents a decrease compared to 2022. which confirms the decline recorded this year, after two straight years of growth that coincided with the “worst years of the pandemic.”

In fact, the number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis has risen to 10.8 million.slight increase” compared to 2022, of which 55% are men, compared to 33% women and 12% children.

“The fact that tuberculosis continues to kill and infect so many people is outrageous when we have the tools to prevent, detect and treat it. WHO calls on all countries to fulfill their obligations They have taken concrete steps to scale up the use of these drugs and end tuberculosis,” said the WHO Director-General. Tedros Abhanom Ghebreyesus.

Anxiety in Africa and Asia

The regions most affected by the new cases are Southeast Asia with 45% of cases and Africa with 24 percent, while the Eastern Mediterranean countries account for 9%, followed by the Americas with 3.2% and Europe with 2.1%. .

However, there are eight countries that account for two-thirds of the world’s cases, with India leading with 26%, followed by Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Most cases are associated with five factors, such as malnutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders or smoking, especially in men and patients with diabetes.

These data are part of countries’ efforts to rebuild their TB services after the pandemic, although this is also due to multidrug-resistant tuberculosiswhich “continues to be a public health crisis” with more than 400,000 cases reported in 2023, of which less than half were diagnosed and treated.

More help for Africa

Kasaeva emphasized the lack of funding for prevention and treatment programs tuberculosis worldwide which fell in 2023 and is “still well below target” with only $5.7 billion (€5.275 million) of the $22.0 billion (about €20.36 billion) needed available.

In this sense, he warned that low- and middle-income countries account for 98% burden of tuberculosisand that they face a “significant shortfall” in funding, with 80% of it coming from national sources, although he stressed that the United States remains the largest bilateral donor to tuberculosis control, with some “efforts and funding” increasing annually.

The program director also lamented that research into the disease “remains seriously underfunded” at only one-fifth of what is needed.

The report states that about half of households affected by tuberculosis in lLow- and middle-income countries face to the “catastrophic costs” of accessing diagnosis and treatment, which can amount to up to 20 percent of a family’s annual income.

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis, or tuberculosis as it is called in English, is a disease caused by bacteria. Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacteria usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect 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 Thus, there are two conditions associated with tuberculosis: latent tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis disease. Both can be treated.

Without treatment, latent tuberculosis infection can develop into tuberculosis disease. tuberculosis. And if not treated properly, tuberculosis can be fatal.

What vaccines are available?

BCG or bacillus Calmette-Guerin This is a vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). This vaccine is not routinely used in many countries, but is often given to infants and young children in countries where Tuberculosis is common. The BCG vaccine does not always protect people from tuberculosis.

Finally, he stated that “very encouraging moment» regarding the prospects for the development of new vaccines against tuberculosis, since currently Up to 15 of them are in developmentsix of which are in phase 3 clinical trials.

By 2028, it is planned to create at least one new effective vaccine against tuberculosis. The WHO says it is very optimistic that we will be able to achieve this goal, although it stresses that “we can do better.” “Clinical trials are underway in countries with the highest TB burden and we are closely monitoring the preliminary results, which is encouraging,” he added.

Gregorio Marañon is working on a biomarker

Researchers Department of Infectious Diseases, Pediatric Service, Gregorio Marañon Hospital, public health network of the Community of Madrid and belonging to the territory Infectious Diseases Network Biomedical Research Center (CIBER)), published in the journal new results of diagnosing childhood tuberculosis using plasma biomarkers. Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and infections. The results of the study by a group led by Dr. Marisa Navarro They represent a promising advance in the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis, providing a more accurate and accessible strategy for detecting the disease.

childhood tuberculosis It is a major global health problem despite being considered a preventable and treatable disease. The main barrier to its control is the difficulty of accessing diagnostic tests in places where the prevalence of the disease is higher.