The progress achieved in eliminating tuberculosis is slowing down and the international effort is in ‘real danger’, a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) warned. Latest figures by the UN's health agency showed there were 8.7 million new cases in 2011 and 1.4 million deaths due to tuberculosis.
According to the BBC, WHO warned of 'persistently slow progress' in treating tuberculosis, which is resistant to antibiotics.
The TB Alliance said resistant tuberculosis was one of the most 'ominous global health threats'.
Dr Mario Raviglione, from the WHO, said that nearly 20 million lives had been saved in the past 17 years as a result of international commitments to tackle tuberculosis.
But he also warned that the 'momentum to break this disease is in real danger.'
"We are now at a crossroads between TB elimination within our lifetime, and millions more TB deaths," Raviglione said.
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