The annual death toll from tuberculosis in the Indian Ocean region is 2–3 times higher than the toll from the recent tsunami
A major earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale occurred off the west coast of Sumatra on 26 December 2004. 1 The quake even caused the earth to wobble in orbit. 2 The ensuing tsunami hit countries bordering the Indian Ocean. The estimated death toll exceeds 220 000. 1 The human and economic tragedy was evident to all, and national governments and international organisations have mounted an enormous relief effort. Coincidentally, seven of the tsunami-affected countries (India, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Burma–Myanmar, Tanzania and Kenya) are among the 22 nations with the highest burdens of tuberculosis (TB). 3 Over three million new TB cases and 772 000 TB deaths occurred in these seven countries in the year 2000. 3 Similar annual statistics have been reported from these and other high-burden countries for more than 10 years. But the earth does not move! The human and economic toll is not appreciated, and an enormous global response is not mounted.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, Adelaide, SA.
- 1. World Health Organization. South Asia earthquake and tsunamis. Geneva: WHO, 2005. Available at: www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/en/ (accessed Jan 2005).
- 2. Tsunami quake wobbled Earth’s axis. The Age 28 Dec 2004. Available at: www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/12/28/1103996533891.html (accessed Jan 2005).
- 3. Corbett EL, Watt CJ, Walker N, et al. The growing burden of tuberculosis: global trends and interactions with the HIV epidemic. Arch Intern Med 2003; 163: 1009-1021.
- 4. Grange JM, Zumla A. The global emergency of tuberculosis: what is the cause? J R Soc Health 2002; 122: 78-81.
- 5. Dye C, Williams BG, Espinal MA, Raviglione MC. Erasing the world’s slow stain: strategies to beat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Science 2002; 295: 2042-2046.
- 6. Elzinga G, Raviglione MC, Maher D. Scale up: meeting targets in global tuberculosis control. Lancet 2004; 363: 814-819.
- 7. Broekmans JF, Migliori GB, Rieder HL, et al. European framework for tuberculosis control and elimination in countries with a low incidence. Eur Respir J 2002; 19: 765-775.
- 8. Li J, Roche P, Spencer J, et al. Tuberculosis notifications in Australia, 2003. Commun Dis Intell 2004; 28: 464-473.
- 9. Communicable Diseases Network Australia. National strategic plan for TB control in Australia beyond 2000. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, 2002. Available at: www.cda.gov.au/pubs/other/tb_plan.htm (accessed Jan 2005).