TB down in past decade; universal health coverage key to faster progress
MANILA, 23 MARCH 2018 – New estimates show a 14% reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the World Health Organization (WHO)
Western Pacific Region over the past decade, but with 1.8 million people newly infected in the Region each year, more
needs to be done. On the eve of World Tuberculosis Day, WHO calls on governments to provide all citizens access to TB
testing and treatment as part of universal health coverage.
“The TB rate is coming down in the Region, but it’s not happening fast enough. We need to do much more to achieve our
goal of ending the epidemic once and for all,” says Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific.
The Region has seen progress, with TB treatment coverage increasing to 76% in 2016 from 69% in 2007. The TB mortality
rate in the Region (5 per 100 000 population in 2016) remains much lower than the global average (17 per 100 000). More
than 90% of new cases in the Region have been treated successfully, but drug-resistant forms of the disease remain a
concern.
WHO’s End TB Strategy calls on countries to reduce TB deaths by 95% and cut new cases by 90% between 2015 and 2035. To
reach the strategy’s 2020 interim target, the speed of reducing TB incidence in the Western Pacific Region must
accelerate to 4–5% per year from the current 2%.
One in four people with TB are not getting treatment through public health programmes. Action is needed to understand
whether they are getting effective treatment in the private system or not at all.
What is TB?
TB is one of the top 10 causes of death in the world. When someone with lung TB coughs, sneezes, or spits, they can
spread the infection. TB germs can remain in the air for up to six hours, making people in overcrowded areas especially
susceptible.
Symptoms include persistent cough, bloody sputum, fever, chills and weight loss. The disease can be especially
devastating for people with other health issues, such as HIV and diabetes, that weaken their immune system. The risk of
TB also increases for people who are undernourished, smoke tobacco, drink alcohol or are exposed to air pollution.
Initially some people may experience only mild symptoms and not realize they are infected. Others may not have access to
treatment, either because of service availability or cost. A person with untreated TB can infect up to 15 others a year.
“While TB is highly contagious, it is also entirely preventable and curable,” says Dr Shin. “That is what makes its
impact so tragic.”
A disease of poverty
More tragic is the fact that TB often strikes those who can least afford it. More than 95% of TB cases and deaths in the
world are in developing countries, with 45% of new cases in Asia, according to 2016 figures.
In parts of the Western Pacific Region, up to 60% of TB patients and their families face catastrophic costs—that is,
more than 25% of household income goes on treatment. The financial burden includes not only costs such as
hospitalization and medicine, but also non-medical costs such as transportation and lodging and loss of income while
receiving care. By 2020, no family should face catastrophic costs due to TB, according to the End TB Strategy targets.
WHO calls on governments to accelerate progress towards universal health coverage so that all people have access to good
quality health services, where and when they need them, without financial hardship. Reducing costs and other barriers
makes those infected with TB more likely to seek treatment early. As a result, they will recover faster, diminishing the
chances of spreading the disease, and be able to resume healthy, productive lives.
“Universal health coverage can contribute to a substantial reduction in TB rates, while helping families avoid
spiralling into poverty. Governments are beginning to realize that investing in universal health coverage actually saves
money in the long run,” explains Dr Shin.
In addition to improving coverage of existing services, including faster scale-up of new technologies, putting an end to
TB in the Region requires innovations in diagnostics, treatments, vaccines and service delivery.
WHO is calling on countries to address all the determinants of TB through high-level commitments and approaches that
involve sectors outside of health, such as education and housing.
Dr Shin stresses that countries must stay the course: “By taking these steps, we inch ever closer to achieving our
vision of zero deaths, zero disease and zero suffering due to TB.”