Inner Cities and Slums Will Complicate TB Control

An astonishing 828 million people live in slums today, a number that grows by 6 million a year. Slums raise alarms for TB control experts like Dr. Lucica Ditiu, executive director of Stop TB Partnership.

The National Press Foundation asked Ditiu to talk about the future of TB, and she painted a somber picture for J2J journalists. She said antimicrobial resistance (AMR) infections currently kill 700,000 annually including 210,000 who have MDR-TB. A British review by economists projected AMR infections could kill 10 million annually by 2050, including 2.5 million MDR-TB victims. Those AMR infections will cost $100 trillion, according to the British review.

The aforementioned slums are a breeding ground for TB and other infectious diseases.

On another topic, Ditiu said the waves of refugees are a “huge” problem for spreading TB. She said she suspects many of the refugees already have TB but taking their medication, if they even have it, is the least of their priorities. Once they get to crowded camps, the situation worsens because TB is air-borne.

Stop TB Partnership offers journalists “Every Word Counts,” a handy glossary on tuberculosis.

–By Sandy K. Johnson

This program is funded by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Lilly MDR-TB Project and TB Alliance. NPF is solely responsible for the content.

Subscribe on YouTube
More Presentations
Help Make Good Journalists Better
Donate to the National Press Foundation to help us keep journalists informed on the issues that matter most.
DONATE ANY AMOUNT