Mayor Boris Johnson urged to ‘get a grip’ on fight against TB as rates in parts of city exceed 150 cases per 100,000 residents

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Boris Johnson is being urged to “get a grip” on London’s tuberculosis problem after a report revealed that parts of the capital have higher rates of the disease than Rwanda, Eritrea and Iraq.



There were more than 2,500 new cases of TB in London last year – about 40% of the UK’s total – according to a report issued by the London assembly and presented to Johnson, the mayor.

The study found a third of London boroughs exceed the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) “high incidence” threshold with more than 40 cases per 100,000 people.

And some borough wards are recording markedly more – areas of Hounslow, Brent, Harrow, Newham and Ealing have rates of more than 150 per 100,000 people.

Why we should be concerned about the return of Victorian diseases Read more

WHO figures from 2013 show Iraq had 45 per 100,000 while Rwanda had 69 and Eritrea 92. Taken as a whole, the UK had 13 cases per 100,000.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria, which is passed on through coughing and sneezing. Most people who get TB have had prolonged exposure to an infected person, the report said.

It calls for Londoners to be educated about the disease and for the Greater London authority to include TB services when dealing with rough sleepers.

Dr Onkar Sahota, chair of the London assembly’s health committee, called the findings “astounding” and urged Johnson to act.

He said: “If we don’t get a grip on London’s TB situation now, the harder and more expensive it will be to tackle in the years to come. With pressures on health budgets, we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball.

“The mayor needs to take more accountability for TB control in London. He is uniquely placed to drive forward measures for TB prevention, as well as better access to treatment.”

Prisoners, refugees, migrants, people with substance abuse issues and homeless people were found to be most at risk of the disease.

In contrast to the London figures, the latest Public Health England data showed a decrease in the number of reported cases of TB in England. A total of 6,520 cases were recorded, down from 7,257 in 2013.

The figures showed the London borough of Newham had the highest TB rates in the country, with 107 cases per 100,000 people.

Globally 9 million people fell ill with TB and 1.5 million died from the disease in 2013, according to WHO figures. Aside from HIV/Aids, it is the greatest single infectious agent killer worldwide.

Swaziland, in southern Africa, had the highest rate of cases globally, with 1,382 cases per 100,000 people.