WHO released the WHO 2011 global tuberculosis control report, noting that for the first time that the number of people falling ill with tuberculosis (TB) each year is declining. New data also show that the number of people dying from the disease fell to its lowest level in a decade. The new report noted:

– the number of people who fell ill with TB dropped to 8.8 million in 2010, after peaking at nine million in 2005;

– TB deaths fell to 1.4 million in 2010, after reaching 1.8 million in 2003;

– the TB death rate dropped 40% between 1990 and 2010, and all regions, except Africa, are on track to achieve a 50% decline in mortality by 2015;

– in 2009, 87% of patients treated were cured, with 46 million people successfully treated and seven million lives saved since 1995. However, a third of estimated TB cases worldwide are not notified and therefore it is unknown whether they have been diagnosed and properly treated. The report is available in various formats here:

http://www.who.int/entity/tb/publications/global_report/en/index.html

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2011/tb_20111011/en/index.html