Even as the number of cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the world showed a decline for the first time globally, India continued to be reporting higher number of cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said in its report.
The newly-published data by the international health agency reported that for the first time, the number of people falling ill with tuberculosis each year is declining. The WHO 2011 Global Tuberculosis Control Report also show that the number of people dying from the disease fell to its lowest level in a decade. “Yet, current progress is at risk from under-funding, especially efforts to combat drug-resistant TB,” it said.
According to the report the number of people who fell ill with tuberculosis dropped to 8.8 million in 2010, after peaking at 9 million in 2005. The deaths due to TB also fell to 1.4 million in 2010, after reaching 1.8 million in 2003.
However, India was found to be the among five countries recording largest number of cases in 2010. The total cases of TB which were notified in India stood at 15,22,147, followed by China, South Africa, Indonesia and Pakistan. In fact, China’s TB death rate fell by almost 80 per cent, with deaths falling from 2,16,000 in 1990, to 55,000 in 2010. In the same period, TB prevalence halved, from 215 to 108 per 100,000 population.
WHO’s director general, Dr Margaret Chan said, “The challenge now is to build on that commitment, to increase the global effort — and to pay particular attention to the growing threat of multi-drug-resistant TB.”
However, the good news is that the TB death rate dropped 40 per cent between 1990 and 2010, and all regions, except Africa, are on track to achieve a 50 per cent decline in mortality by 2015.
“In 2009, 87 per cent of patients treated were cured, with 46 million people successfully treated and seven million lives saved since 1995,” said the report.
“Fewer people are dying of tuberculosis, and fewer are falling ill. This is major progress. But it is no cause for complacency.” said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.