Doctors fear the focus on the coronavirus could harm efforts to combat other diseases. Resources to fight illnesses like tuberculosis, HIV and cholera that kill millions each year could be depleted by the pandemic's toll on hospitals, workers and supplies.
FILE- In this March 24, 2018, file photo, a tuberculosis patient sits on a bed at a TB hospital in Gauhati, India. Doctors fear that the focus on the coronavirus pandemic could waylay efforts to combat other diseases. Resources to fight illnesses like tuberculosis, HIV and cholera that kill millions every year could be depleted by the pandemic's toll on hospitals, medical workers and supplies.
As the world focuses on the pandemic, experts fear losing ground in the long fight against other infectious diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and cholera that kill millions every year. Also at risk are decadeslong efforts that allowed the World Health Organization to set target dates for eradicating malaria, polio and other illnesses.
About 30% of global TB cases — out of 10 million each year — are never diagnosed, and the gaps in care are concentrated in 10 countries with the most infections, Sohn said. Coronavirus-related lockdowns also have interrupted the flow of supplies, including critical medicine, protective gear and oxygen, said Dr. Marc Biot, director of operations for international aid group Doctors Without Borders.
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