🏥 HEALTH _ World Tuberculosis Day
WHO, 24
March 2018 Each year
we commemorate World TB Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the
devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis (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.
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.
Despite
significant progress over the last decades, TB continues to be the top
infectious killer worldwide, claiming over 4 500 lives a day. The emergence of
multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) poses a major health security threat and could
risk gains made in the fight against TB.
significant progress over the last decades, TB continues to be the top
infectious killer worldwide, claiming over 4 500 lives a day. The emergence of
multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) poses a major health security threat and could
risk gains made in the fight against TB.
The
theme: “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world”
theme: “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world”
The theme
of World TB Day
2018 – “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world”- focuses on building
commitment to end TB, not only at the political level with Heads of State and
Ministers of Health, but at all levels from Mayors, Governors, parliamentarians
and community leaders, to people affected with TB, civil society advocates,
health workers, doctors or nurses, NGOs and other partners. All can be leaders
of efforts to end TB in their own work or terrain.
of World TB Day
2018 – “Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world”- focuses on building
commitment to end TB, not only at the political level with Heads of State and
Ministers of Health, but at all levels from Mayors, Governors, parliamentarians
and community leaders, to people affected with TB, civil society advocates,
health workers, doctors or nurses, NGOs and other partners. All can be leaders
of efforts to end TB in their own work or terrain.
This is a
critical theme, given the political importance of the upcoming UN General
Assembly high-level meeting on TB this year, which will bring together Heads of
State in New York. It follows on from a very successful Ministerial Conference
on Ending TB in Moscow on 16-17 November, 2017 which resulted in high-level
commitments from Ministers and other leaders from 120 countries to accelerate
progress to end TB.
critical theme, given the political importance of the upcoming UN General
Assembly high-level meeting on TB this year, which will bring together Heads of
State in New York. It follows on from a very successful Ministerial Conference
on Ending TB in Moscow on 16-17 November, 2017 which resulted in high-level
commitments from Ministers and other leaders from 120 countries to accelerate
progress to end TB.
World TB
Day provides the opportunity to shine the spotlight on the disease and mobilize
political and social commitment for accelerate progress to end TB.
Day provides the opportunity to shine the spotlight on the disease and mobilize
political and social commitment for accelerate progress to end TB.
Background
Last
year, WHO reported that 10.4 million people fell ill with TB and there were 1.8
million TB deaths in 2016, making it the top infectious killer worldwide. This
disease is deeply rooted in populations where human rights and dignity are
limited. While anyone can contract TB, the disease thrives among people living
in poverty, communities and groups that are marginalized, and other vulnerable
populations.
year, WHO reported that 10.4 million people fell ill with TB and there were 1.8
million TB deaths in 2016, making it the top infectious killer worldwide. This
disease is deeply rooted in populations where human rights and dignity are
limited. While anyone can contract TB, the disease thrives among people living
in poverty, communities and groups that are marginalized, and other vulnerable
populations.
These
include: migrants, refugees, ethnic minorities, miners and others working and
living in risk-prone settings, the elderly, marginalized women and children in
many settings etc. Factors such as malnutrition, poor housing and sanitation,
compounded by other risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use and diabetes,
affect vulnerability to TB and access to care. Furthermore, this access is
often hindered by catastrophic costs associated with illness, seeking and
staying in care, and lack of social protection, resulting in a vicious cycle of
poverty and ill-health. The transmission of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB)
adds great urgency to these concerns.
include: migrants, refugees, ethnic minorities, miners and others working and
living in risk-prone settings, the elderly, marginalized women and children in
many settings etc. Factors such as malnutrition, poor housing and sanitation,
compounded by other risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use and diabetes,
affect vulnerability to TB and access to care. Furthermore, this access is
often hindered by catastrophic costs associated with illness, seeking and
staying in care, and lack of social protection, resulting in a vicious cycle of
poverty and ill-health. The transmission of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB)
adds great urgency to these concerns.
