New research from Curtin University and The Kids Research Institute Australia mapping tuberculosis (TB) cases in Africa could help dramatically improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease around the world.
One of the deadliest infectious diseases, TB affected an estimated 10.8 million people in 2023 alone, claiming 1.25 million lives worldwide.
Strategies to combat the disease are often broad and applied in the same way across all regions of a country - however this study may have identified a more efficient approach.
Researchers investigated the disease across Africa, which accounts for nearly a quarter of global TB cases.
Focusing on 14 countries, the team used data from 50 surveys covering more than 1.5 million people examined for TB to estimate how common the disease is at a local level, breaking each country down into 5km2 grids to identify hotspots.
Study lead, PhD candidate Alemneh Liyew from Curtin's School of Population Health and The Kids Research Institute Australia, said the research uncovered dramatic differences in disease burden between local regions within countries - which could prove vital in reducing the impact of tuberculosis.
"This is the first study to provide local-level TB maps across Africa; until now, we haven't been able to see where within countries the disease is most concentrated," Mr Liyew said.
"This study highlights how factors such as higher temperatures, rainfall, altitude and better access to cities can influence the prevalence of TB.
"With this data, health resources can be better targeted towards the communities that need them most."
Associate Professor Kefyalew Alene, also from The Kids' Geospatial and Tuberculosis Research Team, said the study's findings could potentially help fight the disease outside of Africa.
"While some aspects of the study are Africa-specific, using mapping to identify patterns associated with tuberculosis could help battle the disease in a more targeted manner elsewhere," Associate Professor Alene said.
"One-size-fits-all national strategies aren't as effective, particularly in regions where resources are limited.
"This level of geographic detail is essential to precisely target disease hotspots and will help governments and health organisations be more efficient in working toward the World Health Organization's goal of reducing tuberculosis deaths by 95 per cent by 2035."
Mapping tuberculosis prevalence in Africa using a Bayesian geospatial analysis was published in Communications Medicine.
