The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that in 2018 alone, a total of 1.5 million people have died from the complications of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide.
The world’s number one health institution gave the terrifying figure on Friday in its latest campaign titled: “TUBERCULOSIS IS THE TOP INFECTIOUS KILLER IN THE WORLD”.
The campaign is part of measures to reawaken the consciousness of policymakers, legislators, health institutions, community, traditional and religious leaders among others around the world on the dangers posed by the communicable disease in order to step up awareness campaigns to ending it.
Hitherto, the WHO also said that 1.6 million people in 2017 have lost their lives to the TB.
“In 2018, 1.5 million people died from TB including 251,000 with HIV.
” The 95% uncertainty intervals are 1.4-1.6 million for TB deaths and 223,000-281,000 for Tab/HIV deaths”, WHO said.
The apex health organization also disclosed that an estimated 3 million people are living with tuberculosis who are still not getting the care they need.
“TB is the leading killer of people with HIV and a major cause of deaths related to antimicrobial resistance”, it stated.
According to WHO, tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria ( Mycobacterium tuberculosis )that most often affect the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable.
“TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected”, said WHO.
TBFACT, a global health education charity organization based in UK, said Nigeria is among the 14 high burden countries for TB, TB/HIV and Multi Drug Resistant TB.
It said the country is ranked seventh among the 30 high TB burden countries and second in Africa.
“The problem of TB in Nigeria has been made worse by the issues of drug-resistant TB and the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
It is estimated that 407,000 people in Nigeria have TB each year”, said TBFACT.