Millions of people are still missing out on TB treatment, says WHO

A record seven million people around the world were treated for tuberculosis (TB) in 2018, up from 6.4 million in 2017, the World Health Organization says in its annual report on the disease.1

As 10 million new cases of TB were reported last year, however, that means three million people did not get access to the treatment they need. Deaths from TB also decreased last year, from 1.6 million in 2015 to 1.5 million people in 2018.

The figures provide an update on the progress countries are making towards the End TB strategy agreed in 2014, which challenged countries to reduce new cases by 90% and deaths from the disease by 95% between 2015 and 2035. Targets for 2020 included a 35% reduction in the number of deaths and a 20% reduction in the incidence rate.

The …