World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24 every year to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.
The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
This year’s campaign focuses on accelerating the commitment to end TB following the Declaration of the UN General Assembly high-level meeting on ending TB, not only at the political level with Heads of State and Government, but also with governors, mayors, parliamentarians, community leaders, people affected with TB, as well as doctors, nurses and other health workers, NGOs, civil society members and other partners. Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.
Globally, TB incidence is falling at about 2 per cent per year. This needs to accelerate to a 4–5 per cent annual decline to reach the 2020 milestones of the End TB Strategy.
WHO has issued new guidance to improve treatment of multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB). WHO is recommending shifting to fully oral regimens to treat people with MDR-TB. This new treatment course is more effective and is less likely to provoke adverse side effects.
WHO recommends backing up treatment with active monitoring of drug safety and providing counselling support to help patients complete their course of treatment.
The recommendations are part of a larger package of actions designed to help countries increase the pace of progress to end tuberculosis (TB) and released in advance of World TB Day.
“The theme of this year’s World TB Day is: It’s time to end TB,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We’re highlighting the urgent need to translate commitments made at the 2018 UN High Level Meeting on TB into actions that ensure everyone who needs TB care can get it.”
