4pc annual decrease too slow to end TB by 2030: WHO Europe/ECDC

Stockholm, Mar 20 : Number of new tuberculosis (TB) patients has been decreasing at an average rate of 4.3 per cent yearly in the last decade in the WHO European region, says a new report published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Despite being the fastest decline in the world, this trend is insufficient to achieve the target of ending the TB epidemic by 2030, as envisioned in the End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals, a WHO Europe/ECDC statement here said.

The report was released on Monday ahead of World Tuberculosis Day, which this year calls on global leaders to accelerate efforts to end TB once and for all.

“It is not enough to ‘walk’ towards ending TB, as this way we would arrive too late for too many people. We need to ‘leap forward’ and invest now for individual benefits and societal returns. The Tuberculosis action plan for the WHO European Region 2016–2020 shows that bold actions will save over 3 million lives and US$ 48 billion in 5 years in the Region,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

“We need to revamp political commitment at all levels to achieve tangible and immediate results that change and save the lives of all those people suffering from TB today and ensure a TB-free world for our children tomorrow.”

Recalling the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development, Dr Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, adds,“The European Commission is fully committed to helping member states reach the goal of ending TB by 2030. I urge leaders in Europe and beyond to take a multisectoral approach to TB, mobilizing the necessary funds for research, ensuring access to preventative and curative health care for all, and addressing the social conditions that encourage its spread.”

Dr Andrea Ammon, ECDC Director, says, “Remaining vigilant about TB even in low-incidence settings is important due to the potential resurgence of this airborne disease, especially in light of increased

population mobility and of multidrug-resistant TB.”

She adds, “New technologies to aid investigations of cross-border outbreaks of multidrug-resistant TB, such as whole genome sequencing, are key in curbing transmission in the European Union/European Economic Area.”

Despite progress, TB, especially in its drug-resistant forms, remains a major public health concern in the WHO European Region. Latest data from the TB surveillance and monitoring report indicate that 1 in 4 MDR-TB cases is not detected in the WHO European Region. While diagnosis of MDR-TB patients increased from 33 per cent in 2011 to 73 per cent in 2016, it remains below the regional target of 85 per cent defined in the European TB action plan.