World TB Day 2018. Leaders for a TB-free world

Despite progress in the fight against TB, the disease still represents a grave threat to public health March 2018, Cairo In 2018, on the eve of World TB Day, marked each year on 24 March, tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide claiming as many as 5000 lives each day. The estimated number of TB cases globally in 2016 was 10.4 million with 1.8 million deaths. In the same year in the Eastern Mediterranean Region there were an estimated 766 000 cases and 82 000 deaths. The theme of this year’s Day “Wanted: leaders for a TB-free world” focuses on the role of leaders in building commitment to end TB, not only at the political level but at all levels. From community leaders, to people affected with TB, civil society advocates, health workers, doctors or nurses, nongovernmental organizations and other partners, all can be leaders of efforts to end TB in their own area of work. World TB Day aims to raise the public’s awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The heaviest burden is still carried by low-income countries and vulnerable groups such as women, children, older people, migrants, refugees, prisoners, ethnic minorities, miners and others working and living in risk-prone Read more...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news