Tuesday March 24 is World TB Day. The day is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of nearly one-and-a-half million people each year, mostly in developing countries. It commemorates sthe day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus.
The theme is:
REACH THE THREE MILLION. FIND. TREAT. CURE Everyone.
For World TB Day 2015, we are calling on all partners to continue to call for a global effort to continue their commitment to find, treat and cure all people with TB and accelerate progress towards the bold goal of ending TB by 2035.
KEY HEALTH PROMOTION MESSAGES ON TB
1. TB is preventable and curable.
2. TB is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
3. The disease is neither a curse nor hereditary; anyone can get it.
4. Persisting cough for two weeks or more, coughing up blood or blood in the sputum are major TB symptoms. Chest pains, fever, night sweats and weight loss are also frequent symptoms.
5. Prompt diagnosis and early initiation of standardized treatment is key to successful management of TB.
6. TB prevention & control at the Community level will reduce financial burden for patients and their families due to (a) transport costs and (b) income loss due to time spent on attending health facilities for follow-up visits.
7. Most TB patients will not be infectious after a two-week treatment.
8. TB patients can return to work once it is confirmed that they are no longer infectious.
9. Both TB and HIV are infectious diseases that can seriously harm people’s health and each speeds the other’s progress.
10. A person living with HIV may have TB and should seek care as soon possible. TB is curable even in persons living with HIV with regular and standard treatment
11. Multidrug-resistant TB can develop with irregular treatment or by discontinuing treatment before completing the full course or by taking poor quality drugs.
12. Stigma and discrimination of those with TB make TB detection difficult and should be eliminated. Adequate knowledge and awareness can minimize stigma and discrimination.
13. TB prevention, care and control in the workplace is good for employers and employees.
14. The government, private sector, local communities and the general public should make a joint effort for better TB prevention, care and control.
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