The World Tuberculosis Day will be observed on March 24 across the world, including Pakistan, to raise public awareness of tuberculosis and the efforts made to prevent and treat the disease. Various World Tuberculosis Day events and activities were organised by various organisations.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a United Nations health authority that works with this network to promote the World Tuberculosis Day each year. The theme of World Tuberculosis Day 2012 is ‘Stop TB in My Lifetime’.
The theme encourages people all over the world to make an individual call for the elimination of TB, and say what changes they expect to take place in their lifetimes.
People, community groups and government agencies may also take the time to work with broadcast, print and online media to promote stories on the awareness of tuberculosis and the works of those who help fight against the spread of the disease.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious bacterial disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the disease.
The WHO estimates that the largest number of new TB cases in 2005 occurred in South-East Asia, which accounted for 34 percent of the cases globally. However, the estimated incidence rate in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly two times higher than that of South-East Asia.
The World Tuberculosis Day, annually held on March 24, marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch detected the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus.