In Berlin, the 41st Union World Conference on Lung Health will be launched next week and experts already expect that the relation between tuberculosis (TB) pandemics and poverty becomes increasingly serious.

Research of recent years has proven that citizens from nations with high poverty rates are mainly exposed to the disease. Factors such as environment pollution, uncertain economic or political conditions, social isolation, hard labor conditions or insufficient health care access increase a person's risk to be conditioned with tuberculosis.

In highly developed nations, marginalized groups that might be threatened by formerly listed factors represent the highest risk group of tuberculosis. For example in Canada, the native communities are exposed to a
20-30% higher risk of the disease than other citizens.

Approximately one billion people of the world population is currently living in slums, a number that is likely to duplicate within the next three decades. Living closely together with insufficient hygienic facilities, communicable diseases such as tuberculosis spread easily.

In India, a consultative workshop organized by the tuberculosis and poverty sub-working group of Stop TB, launched last month, presents its results. Member of the workshop, Dr AK Jha, points out: "We have to create jobs, find income generation alternatives for those people who are on TB treatment and need financial support to sustain them through the entire treatment course".

Tuberculosis can only be overcome if major human needs such as housing, employment, education and regular nutrition can be met.