Abstract
In 2022, the Republic of Korea saw a significant drop in new tuberculosis (TB) cases. Only 16,264 patients (31.7 individuals per 100,000 population) were diagnosed, representing an annual reduction of 7.8% since the highest recorded level in 2011, when 39,557 people were diagnosed with TB. The decline in new cases means that the number of patients in 2022 is less than half compared to 2011, representing a reduction of 58.9%. Among the patients diagnosed with TB in 2022, the elders accounted for 9,069 cases, equivalent to 100.6 persons per 100,000 population. The proportion of elderly patients has steadily increased yearly, reaching 55.8% in 2022. Among the new TB cases and beneficiaries of Health Insurance & Medical Aid, 16,087 individuals were diagnosed, with Medical Aid beneficiaries comprising 9.4% (1,512 people). Notably, the new TB notification rate among Medical Aid beneficiaries (99.7 persons per 100,000 population) was 3.5 times higher than among individuals covered by Health Insurance (28.3 persons per 100,000 population). In 2022, patients with multidrug/rifampicin- resistant TB accounted for 2.7% (560 people) of all TB cases (20,383). On March 24, 2023, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency announced the 3rd Comprehensive Plan for TB Management, covering 2023 to 2027. The plan aims to reduce the TB incidence rate to less than 20 individuals per 100,000 population by 2027. The plan focuses on strengthening TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and implementing relevant policies to achieve this aim.