Tuberculosis

Medication for TB patients in Belgogrod, Russia. Photo: IFRC (p15491)

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that mainly attacks the lungs but can also affect any other part of the body. It is usually transmitted by coughing or sneezing.

Even though TB is preventable and curable, it is still a leading cause of death worldwide.

• 1.7 million people died of TB in 2006
• every second, someone is infected with TB
• in Europe and Central Asia 49 new cases are diagnosed and seven people die of TB every hour.

The poor suffer the most
Tuberculosis is a disease of poverty. While it can easily be treated with antibiotics, many of the affected people cannot afford these drugs. If left untreated, each person with active TB will infect an average of ten to 15 people per year – and most of them can’t afford treatment either. An estimated 34 per cent of all cases are in South-East Asia, and the highest number of deaths is in Africa.

Hundred-fold increase in funding needed
Globally, it would cost more than 400 billion Swiss francs (USD 400 billion, Euro 250 billion) to successfully fight tuberculosis. However, only 3.5 billion Swiss Francs (USD 3.43 billion, Euro 2.18 billion) are currently available. That is less than one per cent.

Resistances make the fight difficult
Tuberculosis can be cured in 85 per cent of all cases, but it is essential that the treatment is completed and managed properly. If not, there is a high risk that the bacteria which cause TB will become resistant to the drugs. Over the course of the past few years, strains of so-called multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) have become a serious problem.

Deadly combination: TB and HIV
Tuberculosis is a so called "opportunistic" disease and takes advantage of people whose immune system is already weakened. That explains why so many people living with HIV get infected and die of TB.

• In Africa HIV is the single most important factor to contribute to the increase of tuberculosis
• 700,000 people living with HIV were infected with TB in 2006
• 200,000 people living with HIV died because of TB in 2006

What does the Red Cross Red Crescent do?
Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers are involved at all levels in the fight against TB. Because they live in the affected communities they can easily

• identify vulnerable groups
• provide effective health education
• find those in need of treatment.

Additionally, Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers provide social care after the first phase of treatment. Their activities include:

• making sure that patients follow the treatment
• helping patients to get enough and good quality food
• being there for them when they have questions or need someone to talk to.

As a result of this combination of these activities, the percentage of people who can be cured of TB increases significantly.

National Red Cross Red Crescent Societies also speak with authorities, policy-makers and the public to ensure that the necessary resources are available to control TB.