LATEST: COVID-19 lockdown may erase 5–8 years of progress against TB
International efforts have succeeded in slowing the COVID-19 epidemic – but responding to COVID-19 has also forced disruption of existing TB control programs around the globe.
A sobering new report released by Stop TB finds potential for an additional 1.4 million tuberculosis deaths by 2025, resulting from disruption of TB prevention services during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Global public health leaders are urging a ramp-up of TB services
The collaborating authors, including the Stop TB partnership, Johns Hopkins University and USAID, built their model on the results of Hogan et al., who identified the potential for a 20% increase in TB-related deaths in high-burden countries. Dr. Dititu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership, has warned of the far-reaching impact of shuttered TB prevention programs. Her organization is calling for immediate action to stem the potential flood of TB – including a massive catch-up effort to actively diagnose, trace, treat and prevent the disease.
Read the Stop TB report and find additional resources below: