Around one in five cases of tuberculosis in Europe remain undiagnosed or unreported, said the World Health Organization (WHO) in a report published on Monday.
In 2024, almost 162,000 cases of this disease were officially recorded, but the current number of cases of infection is estimated at approximately 204,000reports the European branch of the WHO. The report also points out that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is it occurs much more frequently in Europe than the global average, accounting for up to 23 percent of cases, compared to 3.2 percent of cases worldwide. These forms of the disease are more difficult to treat and are more often fatal.
According to the WHO, these problems are closely related. Delayed diagnosis increases the likelihood of transmission and makes treatment more difficultand a wider spread of the disease may subsequently lead to more cases in which treatment fails. This is a key factor that leads to drug resistance.
Although the number of cases of the disease has fallen significantly since 2015, Europe continues to miss key early detection targetstreatment and follow-up, hampering efforts to limit the spread of the disease, the report said.
The WHO European Region includes 53 countries, including Russia and several Central Asian countries. According to WHO data, tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease in terms of annual deaths. By 2024, approximately 11 million people will become ill and more than 1.2 million will die, mainly in countries with limited resources. Among the most affected countries are India, Indonesia, China, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Tuberculosis is primarily transmitted through the air. Symptoms usually include a persistent cough, and chest pain and loss of appetite may also occur. Bacteria can affect not only the lungs, but also other organs. According to WHO data, without treatment, approximately half of those infected will die.
