The World Health Organization is warning that one million people throughout East Asia and the Pacific contract tuberculosis each year but fail to get treatment.
The United Nations agency also says it estimates half of all the new cases in the region go undetected.
The WHO says tuberculosis kills four people worldwide every minute and in Asia, one thousand people daily - accounting for more deaths than any other infectious disease, including AIDS.
The agency says the main causes for the spread of tuberculosis are poor awareness among the public, limited access to health care, and low quality laboratory services.
Thursday has been declared "World Stop TB Day."