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DAILY, approximately 4 500 people lose their lives, and nearly 30 000 people fall ill, due to Tuberculosis.
Annually, on March 24, World Tuberculosis Day is commemorated, aimed at raising public awareness on this treatable and curable disease.
The 2019 theme is “It’s time”, addressing the urgency to act on the commitments made by global leaders, some of which include:
- To scale up access to prevention and treatment
- To build accountability
- To ensure sufficient and sustainable financing including for research
- To promote an end to stigma and discrimination
- To promote an equitable, rights-based and people-centered TB response.
To date, global efforts have saved an estimated 54 million lives since 2000 and reduced the mortality rate by 42%.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a joint initiative, “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership, with the aim of accelerating the TB response and ensuring access to care, in line with WHO’s overall drive towards Universal Health Coverage.
This World TB Day, WHO calls on governments, affected communities, civil society organisations, health-care providers, and national/international partners to unite forces under the banner “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” to ensure no one is left behind.
The date of World TB Day marks the day when Dr Robert Kock announced, in 1882, that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease. — Supplied.
