Though most TB cases and deaths occur among
men, the burden of disease among women is also
high. In 2013, there were an estimated 3.3 million
cases and 510 000 TB deaths among women, as well as
an estimated 550 000 cases and 80 000 deaths among
children.1 TB mortality is unacceptably high given
that most deaths are preventable if people can access
health care for a diagnosis and the correct treatment
is provided. Short-course regimens of first-line drugs
that can cure around 90% of cases have been available
for decades. Basic facts about TB are summarized in
Box 1.1.