The estimated number of deaths from the disease rose from 1·5 million in 2020 to 1·6 million in 2021, reversing years of decline between 2005 and 2019

Tuberculosis is one of the diseases whose management across the world was negatively impacted by the advent of COVID-19 pandemic. The most obvious and immediate impact of the pandemic has been a large global drop in the reported number of people newly diagnosed with the TB.

The three countries that accounted for most of the reduction in 2020 were India, Indonesia and the Philippines – 67 percent of the global total.

The decrease in reported cases of tuberculosis implies that the number of individuals with undiagnosed and untreated tuberculosis has risen. This has resulted in a rise in tuberculosis-related deaths and community transmission of the disease.

“Before COVID-19 took over, tuberculosis was the deadliest infectious disease in the world. Now it is number two but no less worrisome,” says the latest Lancet report.

According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic had a damaging impact on access to TB diagnosis and treatment and the global burden of the disease.

The progress made up to 2019 has slowed, stalled or reversed, and global TB targets are off track, the report points out.

With India, Indonesia and the Philippines making partial recoveries in 2021, these countries still accounted for 60 percent of the global reduction compared with 2019.

“Other high TB burden countries with large relative year-to-year reductions (>20%) included Bangladesh (2020), Lesotho (2020 and 2021), Myanmar (2020 and 2021), Mongolia (2021) and Viet Nam (2021),” the report reveals.

In contrast, the impact of the COVID19 related disruptions on the reported number of people newly diagnosed with TB was limited in the African region.

Globally, the estimated number of deaths from the TB rose from 1·5 million in 2020 to 1·6 million in 2021, reversing years of decline between 2005 and 2019.

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Decline in Tuberculosis spending

The other negative impact on TB during the pandemic includes a fall between 2019 and 2020 in the number of people provided with treatment and a decline in global spending on essential TB services-from $6 billion in 2019 to 5.4 billion in 2021, less than half of what is needed.

The second UN High-Level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis will be held on September 22, 2023. This will bring together heads of state worldwide and offer the opportunity for a strong political declaration to end tuberculosis, with a focus on scientific innovation and funding.

“Tuberculosis is the pinnacle of the social determinants of health,” the Lancet report states. “Yes, we can end tuberculosis—with strong political will, adequate funding, and an unambiguous commitment to address inequalities, the underlying determinant of tuberculosis,” the Lancet argues.”

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