World Tuberculosis Day
World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24 each year. The objective of this awareness day is to raise public awareness and understanding about the world’s deadliest infectious killer, tuberculosis (TB). Further, it also calls attention to its devastating health, social, and economic impact on people around the world. The awareness color associated with tuberculosis is red. Wear a red silicone wristband, red fabric ribbon, or red enamel awareness pin to represent TB awareness.
Likewise, March 24 marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB. In fact, this opened the way toward diagnosing and curing this disease. However, TB still claims many lives each day and close to 27,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. In addition, the emergence of drug-resistant TB poses a major health threat that could put at risk the gains made to end the global TB epidemic. For this reason, World TB Day is an opportunity to focus on the people affected by this disease and to call for accelerated action to end TB suffering and deaths.
Key Facts About Tuberculosis:
- A total of 1.6 million people died from TB in 2021 (including 187,000 people with HIV). Worldwide, TB is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV and AIDS).
- In 2021, for example, an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. This includes six million men, 3.4 million women and 1.2 million children. TB is present in all countries and age groups. But TB is curable and preventable.
- Multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis and a health security threat. Only about 1 in 3 people with drug resistant TB accessed treatment in 2021.
- An estimated 74 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2021.
- $13 billion USD is needed annually for TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care to achieve the global target agreed at the 2018 UN high level-meeting on TB.
- Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Symptoms to Know on World Tuberculosis Day
People with latent TB infection don’t feel sick and aren’t contagious. Only a small proportion of people who get infected with TB will get TB disease and symptoms. Babies and children are at higher risk.
Unlike TB infection, when a person gets TB disease, they will have symptoms. These may be mild for many months, so it is easy to spread TB to others without knowing it.
Common Symptoms of TB:
- Prolonged cough (sometimes with blood)
- Chest pain
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Night sweats.
The symptoms people get depend on where in the body TB becomes active. While TB usually affects the lungs, it also affects the kidneys, brain, spine and skin.
Prevention on World Tuberculosis Day
The World Health Organization recommends these steps to help prevent tuberculosis infection and spread:
- Seek medical attention if you have symptoms like prolonged cough, fever and unexplained weight loss as early treatment for TB can help stop the spread of disease and improve your chances of recovery.
- Get tested for TB infection if you are at increased risk, such as if you have HIV or are in contact with people who have TB in your household or your workplace.
- If prescribed treatment to prevent TB, complete the full course.
- If you have TB, practice good hygiene when coughing, including avoiding contact with other people and wearing a mask, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and disposing of sputum and used tissues properly.
Treatment of Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis disease is treated with antibiotics. Treatment is recommended for both TB infection and disease. Tuberculosis that doesn’t respond to standard drugs is called drug-resistant TB and requires more toxic treatment with different medicines.
Multi-Drug Resistant TB
Drug resistance emerges when TB medicines are used inappropriately, through incorrect prescription by health care providers, poor quality drugs, or patients stopping treatment prematurely.
