Yes! We can end TB!
Each year, we commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
The Western Pacific Region has achieved substantial advancements in TB care and prevention, resulting in a reduction of TB deaths by approximately 42% and incidence by about 17% compared to levels in 2000. Despite these achievements, TB remains a major public health concern in the region. According to the WHO Global TB report 2022, in 2021, the region saw an estimated 1.9 million TB cases and 126 900 deaths. The increase in incidence and deaths in 2021 highlights the severe impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on TB response, reversing years of progress.
World TB Day 2023, with the theme 'Yes! We can end TB!', aims to inspire hope and encourage high-level leadership, increased investments, faster uptake of new WHO recommendations, adoption of innovations, accelerated action, and multisectoral collaboration to combat the TB epidemic. This year is critical, with opportunities to raise visibility and political commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB in September. This year the spotlight of World TB Day will be on urging countries to ramp up progress in the lead-up to the high-level meeting.
Online talk show
WHO is organizing a special virtual Talk Show to commemorate World TB Day. This year, the spotlight will be on the theme 'Yes! We can end TB!' with the aim of inspiring hope and encouraging high-level leadership, increased investments, faster uptake of new WHO recommendations, adoption of innovations, accelerated action, and multisectoral collaboration to combat the TB epidemic.
WHO’s Director General will launch an initiative spanning 2023-2027, bringing together countries and stakeholders to redouble efforts to ensure universal access to prevention, care and the latest tools and technologies to combat TB on the road to Universal Health Coverage. WHO will also issue a call to action with partners urging Member States to accelerate the rollout of new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB.
Join us for an exciting event that will take place in a talk-show format with speakers connected in person and by video on WHO’s interactive web-platform - End TB Forum.