Theresa May has been urged to take a lead in the global battle against tuberculosis as countries across the world struggle to contain an “escalating epidemic”.

More than 100 MPs, including Damian Green, the Prime Minister’s former deputy, and Ken Clarke, the ex chancellor, have written to Mrs May calling on her to attend a major summit they say offers an “unprecedented opportunity to turn the tide against this terrible disease.”

Warning that the UK remains a “TB hotspot” in Europe, the MPs state that the country can play a “powerful” role in “showing the leadership which the world needs to beat TB.”

The letter, seen by The Sunday Telegraph, comes after figures released last month showed that Europe is in the grip of an alarming rise in the number of almost untreatable cases of tuberculosis, with countries in the East particularly at risk.

Overall, the number of cases of the airborne lung disease has fallen in recent years but experts are becoming increasingly alarmed at how it is becoming resistant to many frontline antibiotics.

Writing to Mrs May on Friday, the 106 MPs stated: "While the UK remains a TB hotspot in Europe, countries all over the world are struggling to contain an escalating epidemic, including many of our key allies in the Commonwealth and the G20. TB programmes remain under-resourced, and we lack the tools needed to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease effectively.