Background
World TB Day raises awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease. One-third of the world's population is currently infected with TB. The Stop TB Partnership, a network of organizations and countries fighting TB, organizes the Day to highlight the scope of the disease and how to prevent and cure it.
The annual event on 24 March marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch detected the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. This was a first step towards diagnosing and curing tuberculosis. WHO is working to cut TB prevalence rates and deaths by half by 2015.
World Tuberculosis Day 2014: The "missed" 3 million
In 2014, the slogan for World Tuberculosis Day is "Reach the 3 million".
TB is curable, but current efforts to find, treat and cure everyone who gets ill with the disease are not sufficient. Of the 9 million people a year who get sick with TB, a third of them are "missed" by health systems. Many of these 3 million people live in the world’s poorest, most vulnerable communities or are among marginalized populations such as migrant workers, refugees and internally displaced persons, prisoners, indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities and drug users.
WHO and the Stop TB Partnership, hosted at WHO, are together promoting World TB Day. World TB Day provides the opportunity for affected persons and the communities in which they live, governments civil society organizations, health-care providers, and international partners to call for further action to reach the 3 million. All partners can help take forward innovative approaches to ensure that everyone suffering from TB has access to TB diagnosis, treatment and cure.
Campaign materials
Latest news and press releases
- Viet Nam on track to End Tuberculosis
3 October 2018 - TB down in past decade; universal health coverage key to faster progress
24 March 2018 - Unite to End TB, by properly financing care
21 March 2017 - Stronger action and commitment needed to end tuberculosis
22 March 2016 - WHO takes action to stop viral hepatitis and tuberculosis; promotes universal health coverage
9 October 2015