WHO: Tuberculosis Now Top Killer Among Infectious Diseases

Facts

According to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, tuberculosis replaced COVID-19 as the leading infectious disease killer in 2023.^[1]^[2]
Last year, 8.2M people were diagnosed with tuberculosis, up from 7.5M in 2022. This is the highest number since the WHO began global tuberculosis monitoring in 1995.^[3]
It found that 55% of people who developed tuberculosis were men, 33% were women, and 12% were children, while undernutrition and diabetes were among the major risk factors spiking new cases.^[4]
The report stated that India, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, and Pakistan accounted for over half of worldwide tuberculosis cases, adding that about 1.25M individuals died from tuberculosis in 2023.^[5]
Tuberculosis spreads through airborne bacteria and usually affects the lungs. The disease affects nearly 25% of the world's population, but only about 5-10% of cases reportedly develop symptoms.^[6]
This comes after Doctors Without Borders and 150 global health partners urged Cepheid, an American pharmaceutical company, to offer their tuberculosis tests for no more than five dollars each to increase availability.^[7]

Narrative A, as provided by WHO. It's shocking that tuberculosis still claims millions of lives worldwide annually. This shows that research, detection, and treatment of the disease continue to be neglected despite advancements in the medical field. It's crucial now more than ever to find the cure and eradicate the disease which poses a significant threat to public health.
Narrative B, as provided by Ncbi. While tuberculosis is called a neglected disease, since it's most prevalent in impoverished countries with weak health systems, there has been progress in controlling it globally. Despite COVID-19 disrupting tuberculosis control programs and affecting vulnerable populations, the number of cases detected has increased, and the number of lives saved has grown.