When is World Tuberculosis Day?
March 24th is World Tuberculosis Day.
What is World Tuberculosis Day?
We can cure tuberculosis. We can even prevent it. A third of the world carries it though, and millions fall sick with TB every year. The World Health Organization created World Tuberculosis Day to educate people in TB recognition and treatment.
World Tuberculosis Day commemorates Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. His March 24th, 1882 announcement came at a time when TB killed one in seven people. It’s still the top-killing infectious disease. In developing countries, poor nutrition can combine with overcrowding and poverty to give tuberculosis a deadly foothold.
The developed world is not immune though. For example, the U.S. no longer sees annual death tolls in the thousands, but TB still kills about 500 Americans a year.
World Tuberculosis Day promotes the research and funding that can educate global medical teams, fund better access to medicine, and eradicate TB.
Facts about World Tuberculosis Day!
- World Tuberculosis Day started in 1982 on the 100th anniversary of Robert Koch’s discovery.
- Patients usually have to take TB antibiotics for 6 to 9 months.
- Drug resistant strains of TB may require a longer antibiotics regimen. Poor medical treatment can even create forms of multidrug-resistant TB.
- Tuberculosis is the number one cause of death for people who live with HIV.
How to celebrate World Tuberculosis Day:
Research tuberculosis and how people contract it. Learn about global strategies for defeating it, and contribute to the fight against TB.
What’s the hashtag for World Tuberculosis Day?
Raise awareness on social media by using #WorldTBDay.