A report on TB surveillance was released on World Tuberculosis Day on March 24 by WHO and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
There is an overall downward trend in the incidence of TB in Europe, but the current rate of decline is insufficient to meet the region's goals.
Europe experienced the fastest decline in TB incidence and mortality before the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, in 2021, TB mortality in the region increased compared to 2020, and the declining incidence curve has stalled for the first time in 20 years.
The report reveals a troubling increase in the incidence of TB cases resistant to Rifampicin.
TB is a disease of poverty and neglect, shrouded in stigma and discrimination, affecting some of the most vulnerable.
World Tuberculosis Day is designed to raise public awareness about the global burden of tuberculosis.