Africa/Global: The good and the bad in the battle against TB

Tuberculosis was last year's most overlooked tragedy. TB killed more people than all wars, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, airline accidents, terrorist acts and murders worldwide the past year, and with much less fanfare. The deaths of these 1.8 million people were arguably all the more tragic as almost every one of them could have been prevented if they had been properly treated with highly-effective anti-TB medicines. This report asks, "Who is succeeding in preventing these tragic deaths?" In examining the most recent data that countries have provided to the World Health Organization, this independent report finds that some countries - even among the poorest such as Cambodia and the Democratic Republic of Congo - are doing quite a lot. The report also finds that some countries - Nigeria being perhaps the most conspicuous example - are doing frightfully little.