World Tuberculosis Day on March 24

March 24, 2006 -- The World Health Organization holds World Tuberculosis Day to raise awareness about the disease and work toward its goal to halve TB deaths and prevalence by 2015. About one-third of the world’s population is infected with TB bacilli, although only 5 percent to 10 percent of those infected will become sick or spread the disease. In 2003, about 1.75 million deaths resulted from tuberculosis. HIV and TB often form a lethal combination and account for about 13 percent of AIDS deaths worldwide.

WHO has found drug-resistant strains of TB in every country surveyed. While treatable, drug-resistant TB generally requires a strict regimen of antibiotics. However, from a public health perspective, poorly supervised or incomplete treatment of TB is worse than no treatment at all. WHO's recommended approach to fighting TB consists of sustained government commitment, detection of symptomatic people, a regular and uninterrupted supply of quality anti-TB drugs, six to eight months of supervised treatment including direct observation of drug-taking the first two months, and reporting systems to monitor treatment progress.

A number of Institute of Medicine reports deal with tuberculosis. Ending Neglect: The Elimination of Tuberculosis in the United States urges U.S. policymakers to intensify the fight against TB by finding and treating people with latent infections and strengthening public health services. Tuberculosis in the Workplace discusses how TB remains a threat in correctional facilities, health care, and other work settings in the United States and reviews the effectiveness of control measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Ending Neglect: The Elimination of Tuberculosis in the United States (2000)
• Tuberculosis in the Workplace (2001)

• World TB Day 2006
• WHO TB Fact Sheet
• CDC Division on TB Elimination