Celebrating 2012 World TB Day

Celebrating 2012 World TB Day

Each year, CDC recognizes World TB Day on March 24.  Tuberculosis, also called as TB, is one of the world's deadliest diseases and has been affecting people for thousands of years. It's estimated that 2 billion people – one third of the people in the world – are infected with tuberculosis. Each year, nearly 9 million people in the world become sick with TB disease, and almost 1.5 million deaths are attributed to TB. While the number of TB cases in the United States has been declining since 1993, there remains a higher-than-normal burden of TB among racial and ethnic minorities.

World TB Day

World TB Day is observed annually on March 24 to educate the public that TB remains a problem in much of the world, with much more needed to prevent, control, and eventually eliminate this devastating disease. This day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about TB-related problems and solutions, and to support worldwide TB-control efforts. This year, CDC is joining the global Stop TB Partnership in adopting the theme, "Stop TB in my lifetime."

 What CDC is Doing

Researchers in CDC's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination and their partners in the TB Trials Consortium are at the forefront of the research that is striving to make the world free of TB. They recently completed a 10-year study of an innovative preventive therapy regimen that will dramatically shorten treatment for persons with latent (inactive) TB infections. This course of preventive therapy is referred to as the 12-dose regimen and contains two very effective TB drugs, isoniazid and rifapentine.

Working Together to Stop TB in our Lifetime

"This is not the time to be complacent about TB diagnosis and treatment. We need to maintain a clear vision of delivering same day diagnosis and treatment, if at all possible, and strive to eliminate TB in our lifetime", Dr. Kenneth Castro, Director, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday March 21 2012, 4:32 AM EDT. Ref: CDC. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0