risk-factors
Risk factors are variables—such as environmental conditions, pathogen presence, genetic predisposition, or management practices—that are statistically associated with an increased likelihood of disease, infection, or stress in plants. Identifying these factors is essential for plant science because it enables researchers and growers to predict outbreaks, prioritize resistance breeding, and design targeted interventions before significant crop damage occurs. Understanding risk factors also helps disentangle the complex interactions between plant hosts, pathogens, and their surrounding environment that drive disease emergence and spread.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-07-01
A major global study found that tuberculosis killed 1.22 million people in 2023, with progress toward elimination targets falling well short and unevenly distributed across regions. Drug-resistant TB and the compounding effect of HIV continue to undermine gains, and cuts to global health funding threaten to reverse hard-won reductions.
In 2023, TB caused an estimated 9.11 million new cases and 1.22 million deaths globally, with 54.6 million disability-adjusted life-years lost.
From 2015 to 2023, TB incidence fell 19.2% and deaths fell 22.6%, but these rates fall far short of the WHO targets of 90% incidence reduction and 95% mortality reduction by 2035.
Eliminating smoking, alcohol use, and high fasting blood glucose would have prevented roughly 37% of TB deaths in 2023, reducing the toll from 1.22 million to 768,000.