China sees annual drop of 3.4% in tuberculosis incidence rate

China has witnessed a 3.4-percent annual reduction in its tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate over the past five years, marking a faster drop than the world average of around 2 percent, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on March 24.

China has seen decreases in TB morbidity and mortality rates in recent years, with more than 800,000 new TB cases reported each year. Its mortality rate is comparable to that of developed countries.

Despite remarkable progress achieved in TB control, it is still quite challenging for China and the world to reach the UN goal of ending TB by 2030, said Jiang Shiwen, a former official with the CDC's National Center for TB Control and Prevention.

Amid global efforts to end the epidemic, the Chinese government unveiled a three-year action plan last year to reinforce TB prevention and control. The plan, which covers the period from 2019 to 2022, mainly aims to tackle difficult problems, including multidrug resistance and a high burden of treatment.

March 24 marks the 25th World Tuberculosis Day.