Tuberculosis drives trillion dollar economic crisis, research shows
· News-MedicalThe impacts of tuberculosis (TB) are usually discussed in terms of public health and human suffering. Now, new research presented at the 2026 ATS International Conference shows that TB is also driving a massive global economic crisis.
"TB is still costing the world an enormous amount, both in human suffering and economic productivity," he said. "Even in the modern era, it remains a disease that is silently draining national economies."
They found that, in 2023 alone, TB was associated with an estimated $1.35 trillion in lost welfare globally. Just 22 countries represented 80 percent of this total burden.
Dr. Hardik D. Desai, MBBS, independent clinical and public health researcher, AB Plus Multispeciality Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, IndiaIn some countries, TB-related losses represented more than 2 percent of national GDP-equivalent welfare, which is a staggering penalty for a largely preventable and treatable disease."
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