WHO fears more tuberculosis deaths as COVID-19 pandemic continues

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a “dramatic increase” in tuberculosis (TB) deaths in the coming years, as a result of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a continuing shortage of funds in its annual report on global efforts to combat the disease. The WHO said there were “significant reductions” in the reporting and monitoring of new TB cases in the first half of 2020, as countries imposed lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19. Three “high burden countries” – India, Indonesia and the Philippines – reported a drop of between 25 and 30 percent in case notifications over the six months to June 2020 compared with the same period last year. The three countries are also among the countries with the highest incidences of coronavirus in the world. “These reductions in case notifications could lead to a dramatic increase in additional TB deaths, according to WHO modelling,” the report said. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">