TB rates are now at the lowest recorded level ever in England, following concerted efforts to address a two-decade-long rise in cases that started in the mid-1980s. However, there remains more to be done, as TB in England becomes ever more associated with inequality.
In England in 2018:
There were 4,655 TB cases – a rate of 8.3 per 100,000 population- The rate of TB among the most deprived 10% of the population is six times higher than among the least deprived 10%
- rates of TB among people born outside the UK are 14 times higher than among people born in the UK
- 13% of people with TB have at least one social risk factor for the illness (homelessness, a history of substance misuse, or time spent in prison)
- TB remains concentrated in major cities with London experiencing over 36% of cases
- Almost 30% of people with pulmonary TB, the potentially infectious form of the disease, experienced a delay of more than four months between symptom onset and beginning treatment
There were 4,655 TB cases – a rate of 8.3 per 100,000 populationTB targets
In 2015, the government launched the Collaborative TB Strategy for England which set out the steps required to achieving the ambition of a year-on-year decrease in TB incidence, a reduction in health inequalities and, ultimately, the elimination of TB as a public health problem in England.