Thousands of people will die due to tuberculosis left untreated caused by disruptions to healthcare systems in poor nations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, stated a global aid fund.

In some of the world’s poorest countries, excess deaths from AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) might even surpass those from COVID-19 itself, stated the head of the Global Fund. The Fund’s annual report for the year 2020 has revealed that the number of individuals treated for drug-resistant tuberculosis in the nations where it is operational dropped by 19%. Additionally, there has been a drop of 11% in HIV prevention programs and services. Executive Director Peter Sands stated that around a million fewer people were treated for TB in 2020 compared to 2019 and this would mean that thousands of people will die… (Reuters, September 8, 2021)