Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is one of the three most frequent causes of illness and death among adults - following HIV/AIDS. Every year, about 9.4 million people contract TB and approximately 2 million die. Southeast Asia is worst affected, followed by sub-Saharan Africa. Here, the number of newly diagnosed cases every year has quadrupled since 1990 - mainly due to the high HIV infection rates. Roughly 13 per cent of the people suffering from tuberculosis are also HIV infected; 80 per cent of them live in Africa. TB is the main cause of death among people with HIV/AIDS and according to WHO estimates accounts for one third of all AIDS deaths worldwide.

Economic consequences

More than 85 per cent of all infections and deaths occur in Africa and Asia. More than three quarters hit people aged between 15 to 54 - and thus the economically most active population segment. The average tuberculosis patient is unable to work for three to four months. There is a correlation between poverty and tuberculosis, and TB verifiably reduces the income of the world's poorest countries.

Consequences for women and girls

Of all infectious diseases worldwide, most young women fall victim to TB. Even though women are less frequently diagnosed with TB than men, their mortality rate is higher - and they are more affected by the associated stigmatizations. Due to their social status, women's access to health services is often limited - which is why they are more vulnerable to TB and less able to seek treatment.