World Tuberculosis Day
March 24, 2017
TB is preventable, treatable and curable.
World Tuberculosis Day is observed every year on March 24th to create awareness about TB and the latest medical treatments offered.
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs.
Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, fever, night sweats, weight loss are the symptoms of TB.
TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected. People with active TB can infect 10–15 other people through close contact over the course of a year.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.
One million children (0–14 years of age) fell ill with TB, and 170 000 children (excluding children with HIV) died from the disease in 2015.
In 2015, 87% of new TB cases occurred in the 30 high TB burden countries. Six countries accounted for 60% of the new TB cases: India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan, and South Africa. Global progress depends on advances in TB prevention and care in these countries.
Last year, World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that 10.4 million people fell ill with TB and there were 1.8 million TB deaths in 2015, making it the top infectious killer worldwide.
TB is a treatable and curable disease. Active, drug-susceptible TB disease is treated with a standard 6 month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer. Without such support, treatment adherence can be difficult and the disease can spread. The vast majority of TB cases can be cured when medicines are provided and taken properly.
Between 2000 and 2015, an estimated 49 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment.
This year, WHO will place a special focus on “Unite to End TB: Leave no one behind”
Source: www.who.int
Image Credit: www.cdc.gov
