Too many people still die of tuberculosis (TB) a curable
disease and countries aren't spending enough money to fight it. TB is an
airborne disease. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel
germs into the air. A healthy person needs to inhale only a few of these germs
to become infected. TB doesn't have to be lethal - it can be cured with the
right medication. But in countries with large unregulated private sectors and
where few people have access to health care, many cases are never diagnosed.
That's not just a tragedy for those already infected - when sick people don't
take TB medication, they can also spread the disease to family members and
everyone in their general vicinity.
According to the WHO, between 1.5 million and 2 million
people die from the disease every year. In 2015, there were an estimated 1.8
million TB deaths worldwide. The disease killed more people than HIV and
malaria.
There are large differences between developed and developing
countries when it comes to dealing with tuberculosis. In 2015, six countries
accounted for 60 percent of all new TB cases. India tops the list, followed by
Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa.
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