The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning regarding the rising tuberculosis (TB) cases in Europe, particularly among children, amid significant funding cuts from the United States. By comparison, over the previous 10 years, the U.S. paid between $163 million and $816 million per year to the WHO. This support became strained when the Trump administration announced that it would withdraw from the organization. European experts are worried that the upsurge in TB cases throughout Europe may be a precursor to rising cases here in the U.S. as well.
WHO officials report that the treatment success rate for new or relapsed tuberculosis cases in Europe stands at approximately 75%. This figure is well below the global target set to detect 90% of TB cases, indicating a glaring gap in TB intervention efforts. The organization points to an alarming increase in TB cases among children, adding to an already perilous picture.
Impact of Funding Cuts
Experts cite multiple causes for the spike in TB cases. As COVID-19 has caused a drop in funding, armed conflicts have increasingly interrupted these diagnostic and therapeutic services. Infectious disease expert William Schaffner, MD, makes it clear that in order to keep TB under control, we need to have strong public health infrastructure ready to respond.
“TB cases are rising again in Europe and elsewhere because of disruption of diagnostic and therapeutic services due to armed conflicts, COVID-related avoidance of direct medical care, and a reduction in financial support,” – William Schaffner, MD.
Schaffner goes on to elaborate on the importance of sustained support for public health workers. Without it, people with new cases of TB risk going undiagnosed and untreated, letting the disease spread unabated.
“This takes trained public health workers to provide months-long education, supervision, and support of the patients. If the public health workers are not supported, new cases will not be diagnosed or treated, and they will continue to spread TB to others,” – William Schaffner, MD.
Rising Concerns for the U.S.
Even as the implications of rising TB cases in Europe are felt within its borders, it destabilizes the world beyond. Experts warn that the interconnectedness of global health means that what occurs in Europe can directly impact U.S. health outcomes. These newly imported TB infections could cause more cases among the U.S. population, warns Dr. Schaffner.
“Whatever infectious disease is ‘over there,’ it could be imported here,” – William Schaffner, MD.
These are some of the concerns that Dr. Gandhi emphasizes. He observes that Europe and the U.S., both categorized as “high income” areas, frequently lead the other in trends.
“Therefore, we should be braced for an increase in TB cases here in the United States and be screening for them going forward,” – Gandhi.
The World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge, MD, states that “current progress against TB is fragile. This particularly alarming increase in cases among children should serve as a wake-up call,” he tells Live Science. It illustrates the fragility of our advancements when the money and resources start to dry up.
“Ending TB is not a dream. It’s a choice. Sadly, the current TB burden and the worrying rise in children with TB serves as a reminder that progress against this preventable and curable disease remains fragile,” – Hans Henri P. Kluge, MD.
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