One in Five TB Cases in Europe Remains Undetected

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — One in five tuberculosis cases in the WHO European Region remains undiagnosed or unreported, according to a joint report by the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), released for World TB Day on March 24.

The report highlights that in the 53 countries of the region, encompassing Europe and Central Asia, regional and global TB elimination targets remain unmet. Challenges include late diagnosis and high levels of drug resistance, surpassing global averages. Delayed detection increases transmission risk and complicates treatment, contributing to the development of multidrug-resistant TB.

Since 2015, TB incidence in the region has declined by 39% and mortality by 49%, yet these figures fall short of the “End TB by 2025” strategy targets of 50% and 75%, respectively. In 2024, 161,569 new and recurrent TB cases were reported in 51 of the 53 countries (17.2 per 100,000 population), with 23% of new cases showing multidrug resistance—seven times the global average of 3.2%. Among previously treated patients, rifampicin resistance was recorded in 51% of cases, compared to 16% globally.

WHO/Europe Director Hans Kluge stressed: “One in five patients remains outside the reach of health services—a missed opportunity to start treatment earlier, reduce suffering, and stop transmission. While incidence has fallen by 39% since 2015 and deaths by 49%, progress remains insufficient, and drug-resistant TB continues to pose a major threat.”

In Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Health reported a TB incidence rate of 33 cases per 100,000 population in 2025, down 3.5% from 2024, with mortality stable at 0.8 per 100,000. Treatment success for patients with drug-resistant TB reached 86.9%, an increase of 10.2% compared with the previous year.