10 facts about tuberculosis
WHO/Gary Hampton
Reviewed February 2013
About one third of the world’s population is infected with tuberculosis (TB) bacteria. Only a small proportion of those infected will become sick with TB.
People with weakened immune systems have a much greater risk of falling ill from TB. A person living with HIV is about 20 to 30 times more likely to develop active TB.
Reaching the Millennium Development Goal to reverse the tuberculosis epidemic by 2015 is in sight. WHO’s Stop TB Strategy aims to ensure universal access to diagnosis, treatment and care for all people affected by TB, and drive down TB deaths and burden.
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