In 2023, tuberculosis (TB) has regained its status as the deadliest infectious disease globally, following a temporary setback during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although effective antibiotics have existed since the 1950s, over 100 million TB-related deaths have occurred due to inadequate access to treatment in many parts of the world. The recent cuts to foreign aid by the U.S. government threaten to further restrict access to life-saving medications, possibly resulting in a surge of drug-resistant TB and undoing decades of progress in combating the disease.
The cure for TB has existed since the 1950s, yet over 100 million people have died because antibiotics are not widely accessible, especially in poorer regions.
Currently, it’s not M. tuberculosis that poses the biggest threat, but the erosion of foreign aid which makes TB treatment less accessible for those in need.
Collection
[
|
...
]