World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year, 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 the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch’s announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch’s discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body.
Despite medical advancements, TB remains one of the world’s deadliest diseases. Distressingly, recent years have witnessed a concerning rise in drug-resistant strains of TB, making it more difficult to treat.
To end tuberculosis, it requires a multifaceted approach. This includes increasing access to TB testing and treatment, developing new and more effective drugs, addressing social determinants of TB, such as poverty and malnutrition, and ensuring a collaborative global effort to combat the disease. It also involves raising awareness, dispelling stigma, and promoting preventive measures, such as vaccination and maintaining good respiratory hygiene. Ultimately, ending TB necessitates a concerted effort from governments, international organizations, healthcare professionals, and communities worldwide.
Credited
Comr Yakubu Nazir Abdulhakeem (Brain Not Legs)