Curing TB - Capitalism cannot do it

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.