187 TB cases diagnosed in Finland in 2024

A total of 187 cases of tuberculosis (TB) were diagnosed in Finland in 2024, said the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in a press release on Monday.

Diagnoses were more common in foreign-born patients than those of Finnish origin and the largest number of cases was diagnosed among 30–44-year-olds, said the THL on the occasion of The World Tuberculosis Day observed on 24 March.

“A typical tuberculosis patient in Finland is either an older Finnish-born person who contracted the infection in their youth or a young or working-age immigrant,” said Hanna Soini, Chief Specialist of THL.

Tuberculosis is a generally hazardous communicable disease whose treatment and control measures are guided in Finland under the Communicable Diseases Act. The disease is treated with a combination of medications and the treatment takes several months.

A significant proportion of healthcare and social welfare workers in Finland have a foreign background. Workforce and students are also being continuously recruited from countries where tuberculosis is a common disease, such as the Philippines, India, Vietnam and sub-Saharan African countries.

Tuberculosis is one of the most common communicable diseases in the world.

According to an estimate by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a total of 10.6 million people were infected with tuberculosis in 2023 and 1.3 million died from it. The highest number of cases were diagnosed in Asia and Africa.

Tuberculosis is transmitted via airborne transmission, but an infection usually requires long or repeated exposure. The disease can remain latent and only become active years after the infection.