Dear colleague,
Yesterday the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published new data which shows reported notifications of TB in England increasing by 11% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Overall, the increase in notifications in 2023 was seen in both UK born and non-UK born populations. 80% of all TB notifications in 2023 were in people born outside the UK. The most common countries where non-UK born TB cases came from were India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Romania.
TB continues to be associated with deprivation and the infection is more common in large urban areas. TB rates remain highest in the London region, at 18.7 notifications per 100,000 people. For those born in the UK, TB is more common among those who experience homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence and have had contact with the criminal justice system.
You can find the accompanying press release on gov.uk.
In response to the rise in cases and the increasing public health risk this presents, we are urging stakeholders who work with groups more at risk of TB to be aware of the signs and symptoms and promote awareness of the disease amongst these groups. To support you with this, we have updated our stakeholder communications toolkit. The update includes new translations of social media assets and videos, alongside suggested stakeholder copy for press releases and publications. Please share the toolkit with your own networks as you see fit.
If you have any questions about our work on TB or ways we could support your communications in this area, then do not hesitate to reach out to us [email protected].
Best wishes,
UKHSA External Affairs Team