Around 4,600 People Died Of TB Each Day In 2016

An average of more than 4,600 people died of tuberculosis globally everyday in 2016. The World Health Organisation estimates that 10.4 million new TB cases were reported globally that year, and 1.7 million died from the disease.

According to Hong Kong's Department of Health, the number of TB cases reported in the territory dropped from 4,346 in 2016 to 4,306 last year -- the lowest level on record.

The notification rate of TB is currently around 60 cases per 100,000 people, representing a sharp 90 per cent reduction as compared with the figures in the 1950s and 1960s.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the annual World TB Day, the Under Secretary for Food and Health Dr Chui Tak-yi said although the local TB rate has seen a continuous decline in recent years, it was still higher than the rates in some developed countries and regions.

He urged members of the public to work together to combat TB. In recent years, the laboratories at the department and the Hospital Authority have reduced the time it takes to diagnose and treat the disease, and improved the chances of being cured.