JUST IN: Report shows increase in TB cases since outbreak of COVID-19

The Global Tuberculosis Report 2022 has revealed that there has been an increase in the number of TB deaths and incidence in the last two years hence the need for efforts to be intensified to curb the trend.

The report shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had compromised the gains that were made in the fight against TB.

According to the report, the Global Coalition of TB Activists, GCTA, a global platform of people affected by TB; which envisions a world free of tuberculosis has called for immediate action to end TB saying the fight to end TB is a fight to ensure that everyone has access to the highest quality of health care.

According to the report, “The Global TB Report 2022 has reinforced what the TB communities have been shouting from the rooftops. The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply compromised the gains that were made in the fight against TB.

“This is the second year in a row that we are seeing an increase in the number of TB deaths and incidence. Add to this the fact that fewer people were diagnosed and treated and fewer resources were allocated for TB, and we have a grim picture in front of us.

“The time for action is NOW! We need to accelerate our fight against TB and COVID-19. Business-as-usual cannot be the norm. The fight to end TB is also a fight to end stigma, discrimination, poverty, and inequality and a fight to ensure that everyone has access to the highest quality of health care because that is a human right!

“We, at the GCTA believe that with a renewed commitment and meaningful engagement of affected community members, at all levels, we can truly make a difference in the fight against TB and win back the lost gains. The GCTA stands in solidarity with all the stakeholders of this global fight and commits to fight harder and stronger with each passing moment.”