Facts About TB

• TB kills about 2 million people worldwide each year;

• The global epidemic is growing in size and impact;

• The World Health Organisation declared TB a global emergency in 1993;

• Every year, 1% of the world’s population is infected with TB;

• Currently, over one third of the world’s population is infected with TB;

• Worldwide over 8 million people become sick with TB each year;

• Each year almost 2 million cases of TB occur in sub-Saharan Africa; 

• Each year about 3 million cases of TB occur in South-East Asia;

• Each year over 250,000 cases of TB occur in Eastern Europe;

• The growing prevalence of TB in sub-Saharan Africa, South East Asia and Eastern Europe, appears to mirror the growing incidence of HIV/AIDS and supports the theory that a link between the two diseases exists.

• Improper use of medication, inconsistent treatment and health services that are unable to respond to the epidemic and various multi-drug resistant strains of TB, all contribute to the impact of the disease.

• If left untreated, TB disease can be fatal.