World TB Day
Tuberculosis. We have 1.5 million reasons to fight it.
For an infection that kills 1.5 million people a year, there’s no such thing as routine screening (1). Every tuberculosis (TB) test is our opportunity to uncover infection, to protect patient and community, to fight back against the epidemic.
COVID-19 has made finding, diagnosing and treating TB increasingly difficult. On World TB day, we recgonise that diagnosing and treating TB is as important as ever, if not more important, as the world recovers from the pandemic.
According to the World Health Organization, 66 million lives have been saved by global efforts to #EndTB
This is Tenzin’s story
On this World TB Day, we honor TB survivors by amplifying their personal stories and echoing the call worldwide for early and accurate TB diagnosis.
Now that his TB experiences are behind him, Tenzin shares his story to help raise awareness about TB to address stigma.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put #EndTB progress at risk
Academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, health care providers and governments have channeled an enormous amount of focus and funding to abate the COVID-19 pandemic and with good reason.
However, this singular mentality has setback the progress made in controlling TB.
Hear from the experts
COVID-19 and tuberculosis pose a deadly, dual threat—a syndemic that feeds on social inequities and poverty. (2)
Dr Morten Ruhwal
Head of Tuberculosis, FIND
For the first time in over a decade, TB deaths have increased because of reduced access to TB diagnosis and treatment in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. (3)
Dr Tereza Kasaeva
Director, WHO Global TB Programme
Treatment and management of TB is contingent on routine-screening and reliable early detection methods. (4)
Professor Keertan Dheda
University of Cape Town and
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine