India’s coronavirus pandemic is leading to many more deaths from TB

By Nilanjana Bhowmick

The covid-19 pandemic has collided with the ongoing tuberculosis epidemic, leaving many without adequate medical care and stuck at home, where they could pass an infection on to others. Global cases of TB are set to increase by around 200,000 to 400,000 in 2020 alone, and most of the brunt will be borne by India, along with Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2019, 445,000 people died from TB …