WORLD TB DAY 2007 SPECIAL - STOP TB

As per BBC web site

Early diagnosis is key to treating TB Cases of tuberculosis across the world appear to be "levelling off", the World Health Organization says.

However, the WHO warns the emergence of drug-resistant TB strains means cases could rise in the future. TB kills around 1.6 million people each year. The data was released to mark World TB Day on Saturday.

Drug resistance

The WHO figures show the overall number of TB cases has continued to increase - but only in line with the global population growth, reaching 8.79m in 2005, compared with 8.71 million a year earlier. The overwhelming majority - 7.4 million - were found in Asia and sub Saharan Africa. Mario Raviglione, head of the WHO's Stop TB programme said numbers of TB cases are going up, but only in line with population growth. But he said the growth of new strains was worrying.

Increasing cases

Dr John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA, said: "Since the late 1980s the number of people diagnosed with TB has risen every year and, in line with this trend, 2006 shows a slight increase.

The key to reducing levels of TB is early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of the infection
Professor Peter Borriello, Health Protection Agency "During 2005 we saw a large rise in the number of cases reported. "We therefore need to be cautious about predicting future trends based on 2006 figures alone." He added: "At this stage, it is too early to tell whether these provisional results for 2006 signify a slowing in the overall trend of increase in the number of cases."