Tuberculosis cases in Czechia stable for second year

The number of tuberculosis cases in Czechia remained stable in 2024, with 454 cases reported, just seven more than in 2023. Nearly half of the cases are foreigners, mainly from Ukraine.

At a press conference on Friday, Martina Koziar Vašáková, head of the Pneumology Clinic at Thomayer University Hospital, noted that many patients are arriving with advanced stages of TB, often without insurance, putting pressure on the healthcare system.

Experts recommend measures to ease the burden, including screening of high-risk groups, removing surcharges for anti-TB drugs for vulnerable people, and introducing state payments for uninsured patients. They also suggest detaining infectious patients who refuse treatment.

After a 17% rise in 2022, Czechia's TB cases have returned to levels seen in 2018. Last year, 21 people died from TB, 11 of them foreigners. Doctors are particularly concerned about multidrug-resistant TB, with 16 cases reported in 2025.