TB Facts : Nigeria among 29 others label high tuberculosis burden countries- WHO

Nigeria among 29 other countries have been identified as high tuberculosis burden countries according to the World Health Organization’s 2022 Global TB report. 

WHO 2022 global report which highlights data on trends of disease and the response to the epidemic from 215 countries and areas, including all 194 WHO Member States, revealed that COVID -19 pandemic in year 2021 disrupted TB services among many others, and its impact on the TB response has been notably serious. 

The report described Tuberculosis as" the second (after COVID- 19) deadliest infectious killer, which is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. It can spread when people who are sick with TB expel bacteria into the air – for example, by coughing".

"Most people who develop the disease are adults –in 2021 - men accounted for 56.5% of the TB burden, adult women accounted for 32.5% and children for 11%. Many new cases of TB are attributable to five risk factors: undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking and diabetes".

 The report listed the 30 top TB burden countries including: Nigeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Brazil, Central African Republic, China, Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Viet Nam and Zambia.

According to WHO Global TB report "an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) in 2021, an increase of 4.5% from 2020, and 1.6 million people died from TB (including 187 000 among HIV positive people). "The burden of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) also increased by 3% between 2020 and 2021, with 450 000 new cases of rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) in 2021.This is the first time in many years an increase has been reported in the number of people falling ill with TB and drug resistanstance

However, the good side of the report stated that TB is preventable and curable, "about 85% of people who develop TB disease can be successfully treated with a 4/6-month drug regimen; treatment has the added benefit of curtailing onward transmission of infection".

"More positively, TB preventive treatment for people living with HIV has far surpassed the global target of 6 million in the period 2018-2022, reaching more than 10 million in only 4 years. Seven countries – India, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe – collectively accounted for 82% of those started on preventive treatment in 2021" .

The report revealed that countries are also intensifying the intake of new tools and guidance recommended by WHO, resulting in early access to TB prevention and care and better outcomes, "the proportion of people diagnosed with TB who were initially tested with a rapid diagnostic increased from 33% in 2020 to 38% in 2021. 109 countries were using all-oral longer regimens (up from 92 in 2020) for the treatment of MDR/RR-TB, and 92 were using shorter regimens (up from 65 in 2020)".

"There has been increased access to shorter (1–3 months) rifamycin-based regimens for TB preventive treatment. In 2021, 185 350 people in 52 countries were reported to have been treated with rifapentine-containing regimens, up from 25 657 in 37 countries in 2020".

The report which was released on the WHO site in October, 2020, however stressed the need for countries need to take immediate measures to renew access to essential TB services calling for increased investments, multisectoral action to address the broader determinants that influence TB epidemics and their socioeconomic impact.

 The Global TB report also emphasized the need of new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines was also reiterate, to intensify vaccine development, building on lessons from the pandemic, pointing that come early 2023, WHO will be organising a high-level summit.