Number of TB Cases in 2012

Author:

David Garmaise

Article Type:

Article Number: 9

ABSTRACT We correct some errors in a 9 April GFO article on the TB results recently reported by the Global Fund.

There were some errors in a GFO article entitled “Significant Declines in TB Incidence, Prevalence and Mortality, but MDR-TB Remains a Threat,” first posted on 9 April and included in the GFO 214 Newsletter on 10 April.

The article quoted a Global Fund Update on Results and Impact report as saying that there were 1.1 billion new smear-positive TB cases reported in 2012. The correct number was 1.1 million, not 1.1 billion. And the number refers to all TB cases, not just smear-positive cases.

The Results and Update report did not state how many of the 1.1 million TB cases were smear-positive cases. The breakdown of smear-positive cases provided in the article is accurate, but the text could have been worded more clearly. This is how the text should have read:

“The report said that of the new smear-positive cases reported in 2012, 83% were from 22 so-called ‘high-burden’ countries. Since 2002, 70 percent of all cases were from the East Asia and South Asia regions. However, the report noted, the sub-Sahara African region has seen a faster rate of increase in recent years, particularly in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Cameroon and Mozambique. These five countries accounted for one-third of all new smear-positive cases in sub-Saharan Africa in 2012.”

Thanks to a watchful reader for pointing out the errors!