Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) was the underlying cause of 1.3 million deaths among human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV)-negative people in 2016, exceeding the global number of HIV/acquired immune
deficiency syndrome (AIDS) deaths. In addition, TB was a contributing cause of 374,000
HIV deaths. Despite the success of chemotherapy over the past seven decades, TB is
the top infectious killer globally. In 2016, 10.4 million new cases arose, a number
that has remained stable since the beginning of the 21th century, frustrating public
health experts tasked to design and implement interventions to reduce the burden of
TB disease worldwide. Ambitious targets for reductions in the epidemiological burden
of TB have been set within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and the End TB Strategy. Achieving these targets is the focus of national and international
efforts, and demonstrating whether or not they are achieved is of major importance
to guide future and sustainable investments. This article reviews epidemiological
facts about TB, trends in the magnitude of the burden of TB and factors contributing
to it, and the effectiveness of the public health response.
Keywords
tuberculosis - epidemiology - disease burden - incidence - mortality - risk factors
- latent infection
