Combating the Global TB Epidemic
Despite being preventable and treatable, tuberculosis (TB) is now the leading infectious disease killer in the world, taking the lives of 1.6 million people in 2017.
As a global community, we have made tremendous progress in the fight against TB, but challenges remain. Many of the populations most vulnerable to TB, including children, pregnant women, people living with HIV, miners, and healthcare workers, are missed by health systems and do not get the care they need. Drug-resistant TB is a growing threat and poses another serious challenge to controlling the spread of TB worldwide.
CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB (DGHT) is on the frontlines in more than 25 high burden countries working with partner governments to find, cure, and prevent TB and help sustain country efforts. As a result, we are helping to ensure a safer America and a safer world.
Key Facts
The latest statistics showing the burden of TB globally and the progress made to date
A fourth of the world’s population – nearly 2 billion people – are infected with TB
More than 500,000 cases of multidrug-resistant TB are reported each year
Global efforts have saved more than 50 million lives between 2000 and 2017
While TB exacts a severe economic toll, efforts to end TB are one of the best public health investments – yielding $43 for each $1 invested
Videos
Learn more about CDC’s data-driven efforts to find, cure, and prevent TB around the world in the videos below.
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TB and HIVGlobally, TB/HIV coinfection is a serious public health threat. CDC is working to significantly increase the number of people living with HIV who are accessing TB preventive treatment to avoid the risk of active TB disease. -
CDC in Action: Hank TomlinsonHank Tomlinson, PhD leads CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB. Hear from him about CDC’s data-driven efforts to combat the HIV and TB epidemics around the world. -
CDC in Action: Global TuberculosisHear from one of CDC’s technical experts on how the agency is working with Ministries of Health and other partners to develop innovative approaches to find, cure, and prevent TB worldwide.
Social Media Tools
Sharable social media graphics that highlight the burden of TB, global progress to date, and CDC’s leadership to help end the epidemic. For more information, visit CDC’s global TB social media toolkit.
Factsheets
An overview describing the importance of TB preventive treatment and how CDC is scaling up access to this life-saving treatment.
An overview of CDC’s global TB efforts and return on investments in responding to one of the world’s greatest health threat.
This brief overview describes CDC’s response to the global threats of multidrug-resistant TB.
