Tuberculosis (TB) cases are on the rise more so in developing countries. According to and), TB is foremost among diseases that cause mortality worldwide. The statistics indicate that 8.6 million people were infected with this disease in 2012 and the death due to the disease was about 8.6 million of which about a quarter were people who had been diagnosed positive for HIV. Many of these deaths could have been averted through treatment.
Among the cases worldwide, South East Asia tops the list with 29% followed by Africa (27%), and Western Pacific regions (19%). The two largest populated nations of the world also recorded high incidence of TB cases with India accounting for 26% and China registering 12%. The incidence of TB cases is significantly lower in developed countries.
Coinfection of TB with HIV is on the rise. According to the Global TB Report 2013, among those who were infected with TB in 2012, HIV positive persons constituted about 13% off the total number. Further cause for worry is the emergence of multi-drug resistant TB cases worldwide estimated to be 450,000 for the same year with about 170,000 deaths being attributed to it.
Although the incidence of TB infection and death due to the disease is higher among men than women, it is among the top three causes of death for women. Of the 8.6 million new cases of TB globally in 2012, a third of them were women. Coinfection with HIV was responsible for the death of 160,000 of the 450,000 women who died of TB in 2012. Children under 15 years old represented 6% of TB cases worldwide and 8% of the mortality among HIV negative TB cases were children.
According to), TB can have detrimental effect on the economic situations of individuals and nations as most active cases of TB occur in persons between the ages of 19 and 49. It is during this phase of their lives that people are actively involved in their career and contribute towards a nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Table 3 describes the patients according to category of cases. Majority of them were new cases (87.5%), 3 of them were treatment after interruption, there was 1 case each (2.5%) for relapse and treatment failure.