Tuberculosis caused 1.5 million deaths in 2018

The bacillus of Koch is intended for the majority of the harmless population. It is estimated that a quarter of the world's population wears it, but it remains almost always latent, without even realizing it. Only between 5% and 10% from among them develop the tuberculosis, a disease that heals. However, there is no other bacterium on Earth causing so many human deaths. In 2018, they were 1.5 million, according to data that the World Health Organization (WHO) just presented in its latest report. 100,000 less than in the previous report, which represents an improvement, but insufficient to end the pandemic in 2030, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The good side is that there has been a substantial advance in diagnosis, one of the big problems of tuberculosis: about a third of those who develop the disease do not know it. they do not get the right treatment, do not cure and do not spread bacteria. Of the 10 million people infected each year – a figure that has remained about stable for a long time – 6.4 million were diagnosed in 2017 and 7 million in 2018. Another improvement, but also insufficient.

"About three million people still have not benefited from quality care. There has been an expansion of preventative access, but the numbers achieved are still short to reach provide preventive treatment to at least 30 million between 2018 and 2020, "says Tereza Kasaeva, director of WHO's tuberculosis program.

This figure is not random, that's what they calculate necessary for the purpose reduce deaths by 90% by the disease in 2030 and reduce the cases by 80%. This is the commitment that heads of government and state made last year at the UN General Assembly in New York, when the issue was first discussed at the highest level. "I have personally sent letters to the presidents to ensure they respect their commitments," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO.

In the opinion of Paula Fujiwara, Scientific Director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis, the most worrying part of this new report is its inability to prevent new infections. "We have the necessary medications and we know that prevention remains one of the most effective ways to fight the global pandemic. If we want to have a realistic chance of eliminating TB, we need to start preventing the disease no matter where we treat it, "Fujiwara said. The Union will hold its world congress later this month in India; he said, progress will be announced to continue making progress on prevention.

Alberto García-Basteiro, TB specialist at the ISGlobal Health Institute, said: "Progress in controlling the disease is too slow and necessary. implement effectively and urgently the commitments made by the UN member countries in September 2018. "Some of the challenges, from their point of view, are to improve the rates of diagnosis of the disease in general, and cases occurring at home. humans." with HIV or resistant varieties, in particular.

The latter is the toughest face of tuberculosis. If the conventional bacterium responds to a six-month treatment, some bacteria generate resistance to first-line drugs, which means that more aggressive, longer and less effective bacteria must be applied. Among these people only one third receives the diagnosis, according to the WHO study.

García-Basteiro is asking for more funding, as it has hardly changed in recent years. Last week, the Global Fund, the multilateral agency that raises funds from donors to fight AIDS, malaria and Tuberculosis has achieved its goalto raise $ 14 billion for the next three years. This will add to the contribution of endemic countries. However, the WHO estimates that it would take only 5 billion more per year for tuberculosis.