According to the World Health Organization (WHO), seven countries account for 64% of the world's TB cases: India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, and South Africa; this distribution of TB closely mirrors the distribution of poverty, malnutrition, and low income.

For the treatment of tuberculous meningitis, WHO recommends the same drug combination and duration as for pulmonary tuberculosis: 2 months of rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, followed by 10 months of rifampin and isoniazid.