World TB Day 2016: Focus on the most vulnerable populations

24 March 2016

New data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and WHO/Europe ahead of World TB Day show that an estimated 340 000 Europeans had tuberculosis (TB) in 2014, corresponding to a rate of 37 cases per 100 000 population.

With new TB cases decreasing by 4.3% on average between 2010 and 2014, the WHO European Region has met the Millennium Development Goal target of reversing the incidence of TB by 2015. However, high rates of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB and of TB in vulnerable populations, such as the homeless, drug and alcohol abusers and migrants from countries with high numbers of cases of TB continue to challenge TB elimination.

World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated on 24 March each year around the world. The overall goal of the Day is to raise awareness about the burden of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide and the status of TB prevention and control efforts.