Tuberculosis (TB) is the single most deadly infectious disease in the world. In 2009, TB killed 1.7 million people and a further 9.4 million new cases were diagnosed (World Health Organisation 2010). Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are the hardest hit but Eastern Europe has also recently seen a major increase in deaths related to TB after many years of steady decline.
The British Red Cross helps combat TB in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Liberia and Lesotho. The programmes we support focus on raising awareness about the disease among young people and supporting people diagnosed with TB in their homes.
Effective community action is key to winning the fight against TB. Multi-drug resistance and co-infection with HIV are two major challenges to the control of TB and an effective response must include the participation of affected people, their families and communities.