Nine million people infected with TB
New cases of multi-drug resistant TB accounted for 3.5 per cent of cases globally.
An estimated nine million people became infected with TB last year, according to a new report released by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Last year's TB death toll is estimated to be 1.5 million, the new Global Tuberculosis Report 2014 states.
While 37 million people infected with TB have been saved in the past 13 years, WHO says mortality rates are still "unacceptably high" and progress must be stepped up in order to meet targets.
Mortality rates fell by 45 per cent between 1990 and 2013 while TB prevalence dropped by 41 per cent in the same period. A 50 per cent reduction must be achieved by 2015 to meet Stop TB Partnership targets.
TB is one of the most serious global infectious diseases. More than half (56 per cent) of cases in 2013 occurred in South East Asia and Western Pacific regions. A quarter were reported in African regions, while India and China accounted for 24 per cent and 11 per cent of cases respectively.
According to WHO's report, new cases of multi-drug resistant TB accounted for 3.5 per cent of cases globally, which has remained the same in recent years. However, WHO says much higher levels of resistance in some parts of the world are a major concern.
The global TB report also highlights a funding gap. The cost of responding fully to the global TB epidemic is estimated to be $8billion, yet TB funding in 2014 reached only $6.3billion, leaving global efforts nearly $2billion short.
To view the full report visit: http://www.who.int/tb/publications/global_report/en/
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