Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft Corp., in a recent video, highlighted the potential consequences of the U.S. reducing its support for global tuberculosis (TB) treatment and diagnosis efforts.
What Happened: Gates, a long-time advocate for global health and a prominent philanthropist, warned via a video, released on Saturday, that if the U.S. were to scale back its global TB aid, it could result in at least 2 million additional deaths.
Gates emphasized the importance of the U.S. in the global fight against TB, citing the country’s significant role in diagnosing and treating TB cases worldwide. He stressed that any reduction in this support could have catastrophic effects on the global TB situation.
Gates has also recently released a new book titled “Everything Is Tuberculosis.” The book, authored by John Green, explores the profound historical and global impact of tuberculosis (TB), a disease that continues to plague many impoverished regions.
Why It Matters: The warning from Gates comes in the wake of a concerning trend in TB cases. In May, the highest TB caseload in a decade was reported, with critics cautioning that the U.S.’s retreat from global health programs could potentially lead to a resurgence of the disease domestically.
With an estimated 13 million residents carrying a latent infection, and about 10% at risk of developing active disease without treatment, the disease has been a pressing concern for the US.
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report updated on July 17, 2024, a total of 6,182 people died in the United States between 2012 and 2021 while being treated for or diagnosed with tuberculosis.
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