Scope and Depth of the Problem One of the top ten causes of death worldwide, tuberculosis kills almost two million people per year (World Health Organization, 2018). Viewed another way, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2018) claims that one quarter of the world’s population is currently infected with tuberculosis. The number of cases in the United States has declined slowly, and is currently less than 10,000 (CDC, 2017a). All fifty states reported at least one case of tuberculosis in 2016 (CDC, 2017b). Worldwide, though, there are about 10 million new cases each year as of 2016, the majority of which occur in just seven countries: India, Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, and South Africa. Tuberculosis is preventable when diagnostic and treatment interventions are available. The infection can also remain latent and non-contagious. However, there are some tuberculosis strains that have been becoming drug-resistant, impeding the effort to eliminate the disease (CDC, 2017b). Moreover, the latent form of the disease can develop into an active, and contagious, infection (“Tuberculosis (TB) Fast Facts,” 2018). Although tuberculosis infection rates have been falling, they are falling relatively slowly, revealing both the scope and depth of the problem.

International and National Impact 

Progress in meeting the goal of eliminating tuberculosis has been sluggish,...

In the United States, the rates of new infection and also rates of death from tuberculosis have declined but slowly. Foreign born persons in the United States are at a higher risk for tuberculosis infection with top five countries of origin being Mexico, the Philippines, India, Vietnam and China (TB Statistics United States, n.d.). The international impact of tuberculosis is much more serious than the national impact, although much care and attention should be placed on reducing infection and death rates domestically. Although the United States is considered a “low burden” country in terms of lowest rates of new infections as well as lowest mortality rates, the stagnant numbers do represent a persistent issue that needs to be addressed in public health reform (“TB Statistics United States – National, drug resistance & state,” (n.d.).
The largest number of new tuberculosis cases occurs in Asia (45% of new cases), with Africa second at 25% of new cases (World Health Organization, 2018). High burden tuberculosis countries in addition to the top three of India, China, and Indonesia include Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Philippines, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Myanmar, UR Tanzania, Mozambique, Viet Nam, Russian Federation, Thailand, Kenya, Brazil, Uganda, Afghanistan, Cambodia & Zimbabwe (“TB Statistics United States – National, drug…