According to the latest Public Health England (PHE) figures, a total of 6,520 cases of TB were notified in England in 2014 – a decrease on the 7,257 cases reported in 2013. The figures give an incidence of 12.0 cases per every 100,000 people in England, down from the peak of 15.6 per 100,000 in 2011. As in previous years, London accounted for the highest proportion of cases in England, with 2,572 cases of TB in 2014, down from 2,965 cases in 2013.
The reductions are mainly due to a reduction in cases in the non-UK born population, which make up nearly three quarters of all TB cases in England. While there has not yet been a similar reduction in the rate of TB in those born in the UK, in January 2015 PHE and NHS England committed to implement a collaborative TB strategy, which includes the key actions required to achieve a year-on-year reduction in all aspects of TB in England and a reduction in the inequalities associated with the disease.
Professor Paul Cosford, director for health protection and medical director for PHE said: “This is the third year in a row that we have seen a reduction in the number of TB cases in England, which is excellent news.”
