WHO urges concerted efforts to eradicate TB in Africa

Ahead of World Tuberculosis Day, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official on Saturday urged African countries to invest in high-impact interventions to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) by 2030.

According to the WHO official, TB remains the second leading cause of death in Africa, surpassing HIV and AIDS. In 2022, 2.5 million people in Africa contracted TB, resulting in 424,000 deaths.

WHO emphasized the urgency of collective action and highlighted the need for sustained efforts to end the TB epidemic.

This year’s World Tuberculosis Day aims to reinvigorate awareness campaigns to eradicate the disease, fueled by pollution, overcrowding, and poverty.

Sharing knowledge and best practices, easy access to rapid diagnostics, and regional cooperation are key to ending TB as a public health threat in Africa, the world organization notes.

It should be mentioned that there has been significant progress, with a 38 percent reduction in TB deaths and a 23 percent reduction in new cases between 2015 and 2022.