In almost every case, tuberculosis can be cured. TB therapy usually consists of a cocktail of up to four antibiotics taken daily for six months or more. The World Health Organization recommends a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazonamide, ethambutol, and streptomycin.
 

Drug regimes are very effective if taken correctly. The problem is that they are long and complex and people find it hard to adhere them. Because the antibiotics make them feel much better very quickly, many people fail to complete the full course of antibiotics, which is why more drug-resistant bacteria develop every year.
 

There is a vaccine against TB and it has been a key player in fighting the disease. But it is not ideal. The protection BCG vaccination provides varies dramatically. In the UK, for example BCG works in over 70 per cent of cases, while in India it provides almost no protection. And the vaccine has a crucial shortcoming: after 10 years, the protection wanes leaving adults vulnerable to attack.