Montreal public health officials are calling for better access to tuberculosis care after a sharp rise in the number of cases reported last year.

The regional health authority reported 203 new cases in 2024, compared to an average of 123 cases per year over the previous decade.

About 89 per cent of Montreal’s cases since 2015 involved people born outside Canada, and most contracted the disease outside the country.

Some 48 per cent of last year’s cases were among people who were not covered by the province’s health insurance plan.

The authors say many of these patients face “significant barriers” to care, and are urging the province to develop new programs to reach them.

The report also found that cases of syphilis have risen about 60 per cent over the last 10 years in Montreal.