World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2023: Know Theme, History, Significance and Key Facts, Here
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2023: Popularly known as TB, Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the lungs. It is one of the most deadly diseases that can result in death if not treated at the initial stage. The purpose of World Tuberculosis day is to spread awareness about the disease and take the necessary steps to put an end to the TB epidemic worldwide.
As per World Health Organization(WHO), over 10.6 million suffered from TB in 2021 and 1.6 million people died. On the other hand, 74 million lives have been saved by global efforts to eradicate the disease.
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2023: Theme
With a theme of 'Yes! We can end TB!', World TB Day 2023 intends to promote hope and leadership in the fight against Tuberculosis. This means the adoption of innovations, quick uptake of new recommendations of WHO, increased action, and collaboration toward fighting the disease. This year’s theme is critical as it will focus on raising the contributions of countries at the 2023 UN meeting. Also, a call to action will be issued by WHO urging the member states to accelerate the process of oral treatment of TB. Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched several initiatives to make India a TB-free country.
India reaffirms its commitment towards ensuring a TB-free society. Addressing 'One World TB Summit' in Varanasi. https://t.co/7TAs2PnxPO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2023
On the other hand, last year’s theme was "Invest to End TB. Save Lives." The theme emphasizes the critical need to invest resources to accelerate the fight against tuberculosis and meet the commitments made by leaders around the world to end tuberculosis.
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World Tuberculosis (TB) Day: History
On this day in 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes TB and his discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease. We can't ignore that TB remains the world's deadliest infectious killer. Heads of State for the first time in 2018 came together to accelerate the response of TB in countries to reach targets and made commitments to end TB in the UN High-Level Meeting in September 2018.
What is Tuberculosis (TB)?
Tuberculosis is also known as TB and is caused by bacteria namely Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Most often it affects the lungs. It is a curable and preventable disease. TB spread from person to person through the air. When people suffering from TB cough, sneeze, or split, then germs come into the air. If a person inhales a few of these germs he or she becomes infected.
Let us tell you that about one-third of the population of the world has latent TB that is people who have been infected by TB bacteria but are not yet ill with the disease and cannot transmit it. One more thing for consideration is that it is said people infected with TB bacteria have a lifetime risk of falling ill with TB of 10%. Those people are at higher risk of those who have comprised immune systems including people living with HIV, malnutrition, or diabetes, or people who use tobacco or have a much higher risk of falling ill.
Symptoms of Tuberculosis
Basically, TB bacteria grow in the lungs and can cause symptoms like:
- A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
- Pain in the chest
- Coughing up blood or sputum that is mucus from deep inside the lungs.
- Weakness or fatigue
- Weight loss
- No appetite
- Chills
- Fever
- Sweating at night, etc.
With the help of medicine, TB disease can be treated and cured. It is necessary that TB patients should take drugs timely and finish the medicine as prescribed. If they stop taking the drugs too soon and don’t complete the course of the medicine then they can become sick again. If they don't take drugs correctly, then the bacteria of TB that are still alive may become resistant to those drugs.
Therefore, World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed on 24 March annually to raise awareness about the disease TB, how it can be spread, its treatment, symptoms, how it paves an impact on health, society, and the economy.
Source: who, cdc
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