Almost two million people die of tuberculosis (TB) each year. And two billion people—a third of the world’s total population—are infected.
Infection and Transmission
TB is a contagious disease. Like the common cold, it spreads through the air by coughing and sneezing. Children are most vulnerable because they become infected easily and are more difficult to treat.
Left untreated, each person with TB will infect seven to 10 other people a year.
TB and HIV/AIDS
In the developing world, TB has formed a deadly tandem with HIV/AIDS. HIV weakens people's immune systems; TB claims their lives. Experts believe that nearly half of all people with HIV/AIDS now suffer from TB.
Treatment
When a TB patient is treated early, he or she can be cured—and prevented from spreading the disease to others.
World Vision supports a TB treatment program in India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Mongolia.
Doctors at local clinics diagnose TB and put patients on a six-month treatment plan. Community members visit patients daily to ensure medication is taken.
Volunteers help raise awareness in the community about TB and emphasize that it is curable if diagnosed early and patients follow the treatment plan.
