On World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, the WHO on Friday appealed for cooperation at the government and social level to eradicate this disease from the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) also underlined the urgent need for high-level leadership and investment, and for innovations and rapid implementation of the organization’s new recommendations.
Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only stalled the progress made over the years to eliminate TB, but has also reversed it.
He said that in 2021, the number of new and chronic TB patients globally would be around 10.6 million. There was an increase of five lakh in the number of tuberculosis patients as compared to 2020.
According to Khetrapal, 1.6 million people died due to TB and TB-HIV. After the outbreak of the Kovid-19 epidemic, the number of people who died of TB has increased by two lakhs.
In such a situation, on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, WHO appealed for cooperation at the government and social level to eradicate this disease from all over the world.
