World Tuberculosis Day 2023, Theme, History and Significance

World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on March 24 to raise awareness about tuberculosis (TB), a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The global incidence of TB is still a major cause of concern and it is estimated approx 1.6 million people died from TB in 2021 alone. World Tuberculosis Day is aimed at not only generating awareness but also highlighting the need for support and collective action to tackle TB. There is still a social stigma attached to TB and people will TB offer suffer from neglect of good medical care. This article here has all the information on World Tuberculosis Day its theme, history, and significance.

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World Tuberculosis Day History

Tuberculosis was once considered a deadly disease with a very high fatality rate.  There was no cure for TB and it caused havoc worldwide. Its cause was still not known to the world. It was a scientific breakthrough in 1882 by a scientist Dr. Robert Koch that led to the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This was a deadly bacteria that later came to be associated with the disease TB.

It is said identification of an issue is one other greatest step toward finding its solution. The cause of TB was now known to the world and with time scientists were gradually able to develop Anti Biotics for TB. Today TB is a curable disease but lot a lot of miles are yet to be covered. There is low awareness, late detection, and stigma attached to the disease, along with that there is the issue of poverty that amplifies the impact on the poor due to lack of nutrients in food, separate living space, etc.

World Tuberculosis Day Theme

The theme for World Tuberculosis Day 2023 is ‘Yes! We can end TB!’. World Health Organisation sets them for World Tuberculosis Day. The theme generally has a deep underlying message.  It is a global aim set by WHO to end TB by 2030, towards that end the theme reinforces the global commitment to end TB.

The theme for World TB Day 2022 was “The Clock is Ticking: End TB Now”, which aimed to highlight the urgency of accelerating efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

World Tuberculosis Day Significance

Here is the significance of World Tuberculosis Day.

• To educate people about the causes and consequences of TB.
• World Tuberculosis Day aims to promote prevention and early detection of TB.
• To encourage give financial and emotional support to TB patients and their families.
• To mobilize political and social commitment to address the disease.
• To inspire action toward achieving the global targets for TB prevention and care.

India And Tuberculosis

India has made significant improvements in TB control and management. The Government of India has set a target of total TB eradication by 2025. There is National Strategic Plan 2017 – 2025, Mission Nikshay etc to eradicate TB. But the battle is far from won, as per WHO India is the largest contributor of the TB burden in the world. There are still pockets where TB is endemic and early detection of TB is a distant dream.

Nonetheless, the TB Eradication measures have been successful to a great extent as per Global TB Report 2022, there has been a decline in the number of TB cases in 2021.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB)

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a form of tuberculosis that is resistant to one or more of the standard first-line TB drugs. It can occur due to several factors such as incorrect treatment, incomplete treatment, or inappropriate use of antibiotics. There are two main types of DR-TB:

1. MDR-TB is resistant to two of the most potent first-line TB drugs, isoniazid, and rifampicin.
2. XDR-TB is resistant to these two drugs as well as some second-line TB drugs.