Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria or the Tuberculosis causes more than 1.5 million deaths in a year across the globe. Every year WHO organize various awareness programs to educate millions about this deadly bacteria on March 24 in the event of World Tuberculosis day. While this airborne disease remains as one of the lethal bacteria, BCG is the only known vaccination for this. People with AIDS and low immune systems are prone towards this fatal bacteria comparing with a healthy person.
World Tuberculosis Day 2023: March 24
Every year the whole world come together to spread the awareness of the Tuberculosis disease on March 24. World Health Organizations (WHO) observe the World Tuberculosis Day to highlights the devastating health, social and economic issues in the society because of the TB. In 2018 only more than 1500,000 people lost their lives due to this killer bacteria. Even today TB remains as the deadliest bacteria in the world.
World Tuberculosis Day (TB Day) Theme 2023
World Tuberculosis Day theme 2023 is “- ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives!“. The theme conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and achieve the commitments to end TB made by global leaders.
On March 24, 1882, Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes TB. Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Mycobacterium Tuberculosis affects the lungs, but eventually, they damage other parts of the human body. This deadly bacteria spread through airborne respiratory droplets. When an infected person with Tuberculosis in lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks it will spread to the other humans. It is believed that more than a quarter of the world’s population is infected with TB bacteria. Major symptoms for pulmonary TB is:
- a bad cough which lasts for 3 weeks or longer
- chest pain
- coughing up blood or sputum (a mixture of saliva and mucus coughed up from the respiratory tract)
- weakness/ fatigue
- lack of appetite, etc
The usual vaccine for TB patients is Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG).
World TB Day 2023 Activities
The World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing a special virtual talk show to commemorate World TB Day on 24 March. This will put the spotlight on TB under the theme – ‘Invest to End TB. Save Lives’ to convey the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB. The even will have speakers connected by video on WHO’s interactive web-platform- End TB Forum. The main speakers will include Ministers, leaders and other high-level government representatives, Heads of Agencies, TB survivors, civil society and partners. The Show will be broadcast live, with interactive Q&A from the audience online.
World TB Day 2023: Key Messages (WHO)
- Urgent investment of resources, support, care and information are vital to win the fight against TB
- Tackling health inequities to ensure health for all
- Ending TB requires concerted action by all sectors
- Essential TB services should be sustained during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that gains made in the fight against TB are not reversed
World TB Day Quotes 2023
- If we shake hands with healthy living, nothing can stop us from kicking away diseases like Tuberculosis
- Tuberculosis is a threat to existence but we can join hands and kick it right off the block!
- Is TB worth a fight? Yes it is, only if you trust and believe!
- Life with TB is painful but the good news is that we can get rid of the disease!
- Love your lungs and hate the smoke. Spread awareness on this world tuberculosis day
- Live free and live young! Live without TB and live forever
- Tuberculosis is curable and hence it is further important to treat it in the right time. Delayed treatment is denied treatment
World TB Day Quiz 2023
1. What is theme of World TB Day 2022?
2. When is World TB Day Observed?
India, and Tuberculosis
India accounts for 24% of the wold’s TB infected patients, while the death rate is 21%. To prevent TB bacteria, the Indian government started the National Tuberculosis Programme in 1962. In 1993, the government renew the program into the Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP) to expand its reach. Yet the government fail to reach the majority. Even today India has the world’s largest tuberculosis epidemic according to the WHO reports. On December 30, 2019, the Union government renamed the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP). Among the AIDS patients in India, TB is the cause of one in every third death. The impact of TB in Indian economy is so high that it costs us nearly USD 340 billion in a year.
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Source: who.int
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