Context
World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on 24 March.
What is Tuberculosis?
- Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the
- It is caused by a
- The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.
- Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of kidneys, spine or brain.
- When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved.
- For example, tuberculosis of the spine may give back pain, and tuberculosis in kidneys might cause blood in your urine.
- Symptoms: TB symptoms include Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.
- Treatment: TB is a treatable and curable disease.
- It is treated with a standard 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.
History
- On this day in 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes TB and his discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
- We can't ignore that TB remains the world's deadliest infectious killer.
- First ever World TB Day was hosted by WHO and Royal Netherlands Tuberculosis Foundation (KNCV) in the fall of 1995 in Den Haag, Netherlands.
- Heads of State for the first time in 2018 came together to accelerate the response of TB in countries to reach targets and made commitments to end TB in the UN High-Level Meeting in September 2018.
Theme
The theme of World TB Day 2022 – ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives.’
- The theme emphasises the critical need to invest resources to accelerate the fight against tuberculosis and meet the commitments made by leaders around the world to end tuberculosis.
