It was nearly extinct at the end of the last century. But now more than 1.6 billion people are infected with the disease and global hotspots continue to be burdened with insufficient screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

The disease requires a cure for the individual and minimisation of its transmission to others. This needs advanced screenings and treatments being made available to hard hit regions. Because of the contagiousness of this disease, there are huge payoffs for investment in diagnostics and therapeutics, for pharma companies and in terms of human life.

The report Global Tuberculosis Strategies suggests that a lack of proper diagnosis is a major barrier to tuberculosis treatment. While skin testing remains the most common form of testing, sputum smears and cultures, considered better options for diagnosis, lag behind skin testing as they pose difficulties in field use.

There are three primary focal points for the development of a global strategy for combating tuberculosis. This includes investigating the likely numbers of people to contract this awful disease, epidemiology and technology. Diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies could incorporate these focal points into their own TB eradication plan.

What is clear is that no country is safe from this disease. Living in a global community means these sorts of diseases can quickly proliferate around the globe, across state boundaries. This may be an occassion when pharma companies and society can equally benefit from the development of tuberculosis testing and therapeutics products.