Lack of funding

Improved technologies and new drugs are in the pipeline, but Abubakar said there is not enough funding to stay ahead of the disease.

The World Health Organization said this month it has a $1.6-billion gap in funding for the treatment and prevention of TB. More than half of that is earmarked for sub-Saharan Africa.

“I think that we are far behind where we ought to be," said Abubakar. "Further investment would be necessary if we are going to tackle the worsening situation - especially if we are going to tackle multi- and extensively-drug-resistant TB.”

Without rapid advances, he said, TB could become incurable.