Tuberculosis in the European Union remains a serious problem despite the overall decrease in incidence. Key difficulties include undiagnosed cases and drug resistance. Key figures (2024) In 2024, 38,249 cases of tuberculosis were registered in 30 EU/EFTA countries, which is 8.4 cases per 100,000 population. For comparison, in the entire WHO European Region (53 countries, including Central Asia), this figure was 17.2 per 100,000. Since 2015, incidence in the EU/EFTA has decreased by 33%, and mortality by 17%. However, these rates are insufficient to achieve the goals of tuberculosis elimination by 2030. Key problems Problem 1: one in five cases remains undiagnosed. According to estimates, 20% of tuberculosis cases in the European region are not diagnosed or registered. In the EU/EFTA, the situation is similar: one in five patients who begin treatment do not undergo examination a year later. This means that people do not receive treatment and continue to spread the infection. Problem 2: drug resistance. The European region is one of the leaders in drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis. 23% of new cases in Europe are resistant to rifampicin (in the world - only 3.2%). Among previously treated patients, resistance reaches 51% (in the world - 16%). In the EU/EFTA, 3.5% of cases are multi-drug resistant, but the success rate of treatment for such forms is only 56%. Situation in individual countries Germany remains a country with low incidence: 4,391 cases were registered in 2024 (5.3 per 100,000), slightly higher than the previous year. Three quarters of cases are in people born outside Germany. Spain reported 4,623 cases in 2024, an increase of 8.3% from the previous year. More than half of new cases are in people born outside Spain, and incidence among children under 15 years old has increased. Dynamics by country in the EU/EFTA (2020-2024) Country 2020 (cases) 2024 (cases) Annual average change ... Read more