Global TB

TB is the second the most common infectious disease in the world and the leading cause of death among women and persons with AIDS. One-third of the world population is infected with TB. Annually, 8 million people develop the disease and 2 million deaths occur from TB. It is estimated that there will be 10 million cases annually by 2010.

Tuberculosis is a treatable disease if it is diagnosed early. However, nearly two-thirds of the people in the world who have active TB are not receiving treatment. In developing countries, patients are not always able to afford the medications that are prescribed or they discontinue their treatment early. This leads to an increase in drug resistant strains. The incidence of single drug resistant and multi-drug resistant TB strains is a concern because these forms of TB are more difficult and expensive to treat than TB that is not drug resistant.

View the World Health Organization's report on Global Tuberculosis Control for the latest global TB incidences information.