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Why is TB still killing people?

Aug 7, 2026 · 26m

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Tuberculosis kills more than a million people every year. It’s the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. This is despite the fact that we've had a cure for TB since the 1940s and a vaccine that’s over 100 years old. So why is TB still causing so many people to die? That’s what CrowdScience listener John in Tanzania wants to know, and presenter Marnie Chesterton is on the case. Over in Paris, she’s joined by Dr Claas Kirchhelle, historian of science, medicine and technology at French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) to look into the history and efficacy of the vaccine, known as BCG. As Dr Maximiliano Gutierrez, Associate Research Director at…