Tuberculosis ranks alongside HIV as leading global infectious killer: WHO

Tuberculosis now rivals HIV/AIDS as the world's most deadly infectious disease, killing about 1.5 million people a year, a World Health Organisation report says. The 20th annual Global Tuberculosis Report also said major advances have been made in reducing the TB infection and death rate over the past two decades.TB is an ancient disease of poverty and still one of the biggest killers in the world.We are still facing a burden of 4,400 people dying every day, which is unacceptable in an era when you can diagnose and cure nearly every person with TB, said Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of WHOs Global TB Programme in a statement.Another 9.6 million people fell sick to the airborne disease in 2014.China, India, Brazil and Russia have very high rates and sub-Saharan Africa the worst number of simultaneous infections with HIV/AIDS.Fifty-eight per cent of the world's TB is on Australia's doorstep in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific countries.

EPA-FAROOQ KHAN