24th
March is observed as World TB day globally. STOP TB
has proposed “ a theme for next 10 Years (2006-2015)
as “Actions
for life for a world free of tuberculosis”.
History of the World TB
Day
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In the late 19th century, TB killed
one out of every seven people living in the United
States and Europe.
On March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced
the discovery of the TB bacillus. At the time,
his discovery was the most important step taken
towards the control and elimination of this deadly
disease.
In 1982, a century after Dr. Koch's announcement,
the first World TB Day was sponsored by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and the International
Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD). |
Dr. Robert Koch
1843- 1910
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The
event was intended to educate the public about
the devastating health and economic consequences
of TB, its effect on developing countries, and
its continued tragic impact on global health.
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Why do we continue to Observe
the World TB Day?
The World TB Day, held on March 24 each year, is an
occasion for people around the world to raise awareness
about the international health threat presented by tuberculosis
(TB). It is a day to recognize the collaborative efforts
of all countries involved in fighting TB. TB can be
cured, controlled, and, with diligent efforts and sufficient
resources, eventually eliminated.
WHO Theme of the World
TB day (2001- 06)
| World
TB Day Year |
Theme for the year |
| 2006 |
Actions
for Life: towards a world free of tuberculosis |
| 2005 |
TB care providers and their
crucial role in stopping TB. TB Elimination: Now
Is the Time |
| 2004 |
Stop TB Now |
| 2003 |
People with TB -DOTS”
cured me-It will cure you too |
| 2002 |
Stop TB, fight poverty |
| 2001 |
DOTS: TB cure for all |
Where are We Now?
TB remains a threat to the health and well-being of
people around the world. Among infectious diseases,
TB remains the second leading killer of adults in the
world, with more than 2 million TB-related deaths each
year. Until TB is controlled, World TB Day won’t
be a celebration. But it is a valuable opportunity to
educate the public about the devastation TB can spread
and how it can be stopped.
Clearly, we must work harder if we are to achieve,
by 2015, the Millennium Development Goal of halting
and beginning to reverse the spread of TB as one of
the world’s major diseases. Thanks to a massive
scale-up of the DOTS strategy for TB control recommended
by the World Health Organization, with over 17 million
persons treated in nine years, our prospects for reaching
the Goal have improved greatly.
But huge obstacles remain, particularly in Africa --
in the form of weak health systems, a depleted health
workforce, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic that is driving
TB. As Nelson Mandela said, “We cannot win the
battle against AIDS if we do not also fight TB. TB is
too often a death sentence for people with AIDS.”
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