In his new book Everything Is Tuberculosis, author and health educator John Green writes: “What’s different now from 1804 or 1904 is that tuberculosis is curable, and has been since the mid-1950s. We know how to live in a world without tuberculosis.

“But we choose not to live in that world.”

On their website, the global health and tuberculosis experts at Partners In Health write: “Each year, tuberculosis (TB) kills about 1.3 million people worldwide—that’s more deaths than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.

“TB is the world’s deadliest infectious disease (though briefly eclipsed by COVID-19), killing someone every 20 seconds. ”

Additionally, the UK Health Security Ageny (UKHSA) has reported that tuberculosis has experienced a rise in reported numbers in England by 13% in 2024 (5,480) compared to 2023 (4,850).

So, what’s causing the rise in TB cases in the UK?

According to the lung charity

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