Every year on March 24th, World Tuberculosis Day seeks to build public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis. The observance also aims to increase efforts to eliminate the deadly disease.
Tuberculosis (also known as TB or consumption) is an infectious disease that affects the lungs. The disease spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Some people who have TB don’t have any symptoms. The bacteria that causes TB can sometimes lie dormant for many years. A dormant disease is called a latent infection. Up to 10 percent of those with a latent infection become sick. Those who develop symptoms have a cough, sometimes tinged with blood. They might also experience weight loss, fever, and night sweats.
In 1982, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease proposed the observance, World TB Day on March 24th. The date marked the one-hundredth anniversary of Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes the disease. Over a decade later, the WHO’s World Health Assembly and the United Nations recognized World Tuberculosis Day. By 1998, nearly 200 organizations participated in the day.
"The Theme of World TB Day 2022 - ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives.’ conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and achieve the commitments to end TB made by global leaders. This is especially critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put End TB progress at risk, and to ensure equitable access to prevention and care in line with WHO’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage," according to WHO (World Health Organization).
Source: www.who.int
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