Approximately 70% of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the African region are now being diagnosed and treated, representing the highest case-detection rate ever in the region. This achievement is a result of the collaborative efforts made by countries to combat the threat posed by this disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report 2023 highlights a substantial increase in the case detection rate in the region, with the percentage of diagnosed cases rising from 60% to 70% between 2020 and 2022. Moreover, there has been a significant decrease in the number of individuals with TB who remain undiagnosed, with an estimated 700,000 fewer missed diagnoses in 2022 compared to the previous year. To further enhance global efforts in detection, diagnosis, and treatment to eradicate TB, this year’s World TB Day is being commemorated under the theme “Yes! We can end TB.”
Several factors have contributed to the improvement in TB diagnosis rates in the African region. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have maintained TB notification services, ensuring the timely detection and treatment of cases. For instance, Nigeria, a country with a high TB burden, reported a nearly threefold increase in case notifications over the past five years, reaching 285,000 cases in 2022 from 106,000 cases in 2018. Additionally, advancements in the management of HIV infection, a key driver of TB, have also played a role in boosting TB detection rates in the region.
“While progress has been made in addressing the impact of TB on families and communities, further efforts are needed to accelerate the momentum towards making TB history,” stated Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. The African region accounts for 23% of TB cases and 33% of TB-related deaths globally, but steady progress is being made towards ending the disease. Countries such as Cabo Verde, Eswatini, and South Africa have achieved at least a 50% reduction in TB cases as per the WHO End TB Strategy goals.
Although TB deaths in the region have decreased by 38% and new cases have declined by 23% in 2022 compared to 2015, more efforts are required to meet the 2030 global End TB Strategy targets of reducing TB deaths by 90% and cases by 80%. This includes increased investments in TB control programs. In 2022, the Global Plan to End TB 2018-2022 estimated that US$ 3.9 billion annually is needed in the African Region to achieve these targets, but only around US$ 890 million were mobilized for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Limited access to health services, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient quality of care, inadequate human resources, and lack of social protection are also hindering progress in ending TB.
Globally, TB remains a major cause of mortality, claiming millions of lives each year. In the African region, TB was the second leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, with nearly 2.5 million people falling ill and 424,000 lives lost in 2022.
These efforts are being coordinated by APO Group on behalf of the WHO Regional Office for Africa.