Geospatial and Temporal Assessment of Tuberculosis Incidence in Iran
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By
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Behnam Khodadoust
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Fatemeh Sarvi
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Shahnaz Rimaz
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Mahmoud Khodadost
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Mahshid Nasehi
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February 9, 2026
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0 min
Clinical Report: Geospatial and Temporal Assessment of Tuberculosis Incidence in Iran
Overview
This report examines the spatiotemporal patterns of tuberculosis (TB) incidence in Iran, highlighting significant regional variations and the impact of socioeconomic factors. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address the TB burden in high-risk areas.
Background
Tuberculosis remains a leading global health threat, with millions of new infections and deaths annually. In Iran, the TB incidence rate is estimated at 10.88 per 100,000, compounded by challenges such as delayed diagnosis and drug-resistant strains. Understanding the geographical distribution of TB is crucial for effective public health interventions, especially in regions with high immigration rates and socioeconomic disparities.
Data Highlights
No specific numerical data available in the source material.
Key Findings
- Iran is classified as a medium-TB-burden country with an incidence rate of 10.88 per 100,000 population.
- High TB incidence is associated with regions experiencing significant immigration from neighboring high-burden countries.
- Socioeconomic factors such as poverty and overcrowding exacerbate TB transmission in rural areas.
- Spatial epidemiology techniques have been underutilized in understanding localized TB dynamics in Iran.
- Previous studies have primarily focused on national or provincial levels, masking localized variations in TB distribution.
Clinical Implications
Healthcare providers should focus on localized interventions in high-risk areas to effectively combat TB. Enhanced surveillance and targeted treatment strategies are essential, particularly in regions with high immigration and socioeconomic challenges.
Conclusion
A comprehensive understanding of TB's spatiotemporal patterns in Iran is vital for developing effective public health strategies. Addressing the disparities in TB incidence can lead to improved outcomes and better resource allocation.
References
- WHO, Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 -- Tuberculosis is the world’s leading infectious killer
- The Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2023 -- Modeling the Impact of Case Finding for Tuberculosis: The Role of Infection Dynamics
- Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2023 -- Impact of Social Vulnerability on the Relationship Between Geographic Proximity and Participation in Latent Tuberculosis Infection Management
- Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2023 -- Incidence of Tuberculosis Disease in a Major Integrated Healthcare System in California from 2004 to 2022
- The Journal of Infectious Diseases — Assessing Infectiousness and the Impact of Effective Treatment to Guide Isolation Recommendations for People With Pulmonary Tuberculosis
- Global tuberculosis report 2025 TB SITUATION AND RESPONSE Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent and among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. It was also the leading killer of people with HIV and a major cause of death related to antimicrobial resistance. TB is contagious and airborne. TB BURDEN In 2024, an estimated 10.7 million people fell ill with TB worldwide, including 5.8 million men, 3.7 million women and 1.2 million children and young adolescents. People living with HIV accounted for 5.8% of the total. The TB incidence rate also fell, by 1.7% between 2023 and 2024, and is back to the level of 2020. Globally, the net reduction in the TB incidence rate from 2015 to 2024 was 12%, far from the WHO End TB Strategy milestone of a 50% reduction by 2025. Globally in 2024, TB caused an estimated 1.23 million deaths, including 150 000 people with HIV, compared with 1.25 million in 2023. In 2024, eight countries account for two thirds of the total number of people who fell ill with TB: India, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Bangladesh. The top five countries accounted for 55% of the global total. TB CARE AND TREATMENT Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 83 million lives since 2000. Globally in 2024, 8.3 million people were reported as newly diagnosed with TB in 2024 – a small increase from 8.2 million in 2023 and 78% of the estimated number of incident cases. Of these, 54% were initially tested with a rapid test, up from 48% in 2023. There is still a large global gap between the estimated number of people who fell ill with TB and the number of people newly diagnosed, with approximately 2.4 million people not diagnosed with the disease, or not officially reported to national authorities in 2024. DRUG-RESISTANT TB Globally, an estimated 390 000 people developed multidrug- resistan t or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) in 2024. A total of 164 545 people were treated for rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) in 2024. This was 42% of the approximately 390 000 people who developed RR-TB in 2024, almost the same as in 2023. The treatment success rate for drug-susceptible TB remains high, at 88%, and has improved to 71% for RR-TB. ADDRESSING THE CO-EPIDEMICS OF TB AND HIV Among all incident cases of TB in 2024, approximately 619 000 people living with HI V developed TB, with the highest burden occurring in countries in the WHO African Region. The global coverage of HIV testing among people diagnosed with TB remained high in 2024, at 82%. This was a slight increase from 81% in 2023 and 80% in 2022. In 2024, the global coverage of ART for people living with HIV who were newly diagnosed with TB and reported as TB cases reached 91%, continuing the high level maintained since 2019 and rising from 88% in 2023. | TUBERCULOSIS IS THE WORLD’S LEADING INFECTIOUS KILLER 1.23 MILLION TB DEATHS INCLUDING 150 000 DEATHS AMONG PEOPLE WITH HIV TB is also the leading cause of deaths among people with HIV and a major contributor to deaths associated with antimicrobial resistance
- Short oral regimens for pulmonary rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (TB-PRACTECAL): an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 2B-3, multi-arm, multicentre, non-inferiority trial - PubMed
- Spatio-temporal analysis of tuberculosis prevalence in Iran - PMC
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