EIACP PC Hub: Kerala
State of Environment and Related Issues

World TB Day raises awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease. One-third of the world's population is currently infected with TB. The annual event on 24 March marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch detected the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. This was a first step towards diagnosing and curing tuberculosis. WHO is working to cut TB prevalence rates and deaths by half by 2015. In 1982, on the one-hundredth anniversary of Robert Koch's presentation, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) proposed that March 24 be proclaimed an official World TB Day. In 1996, the World Health Organization (WHO) joined with the IUATLD and a wide range of other concerned organizations to increase the impact of World TB Day. Today the Stop TB Partnership, a network of organizations and countries fighting TB (IUATLD is a member and WHO houses the secretariat in Geneva), organizes the Day to highlight the scope of the disease and how to prevent and cure it. 

          World TB Day 2011 falling on 24^th March is geared to step up global awareness about the epidemic of tuberculosis and to renew efforts to eliminate the disease. Though factors like growing drug resistance and the deadly connection between TB and HIV are posing a great challenge to the treatment of the disease, tuberculosis is preventable and curable if necessary precautions are taken and patients stick to the drug regimen.

World TB Day 2011 enters into the second year of the two year campaign, “On the move against tuberculosis” focusing on innovation in TB research and care. Accelerating the campaign are fresh objectives and targets from the Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015. The theme of World TB Day 2011 — "On the move against TB: Transforming the fight towards elimination"

The 2011 World TB Day is focused on individuals around the world who have found new ways to stop TB and can serve as an inspiration to others. The idea is to recognize people who have introduced a variety of innovations in a variety of settings:

• Research aimed at developing new diagnostics, drugs or vaccines

• Operational research, aimed at making TB care more effective and efficient

• New approaches to helping people gain access to TB diagnosis and treatment

•  Novel partnerships between actors in the fight against TB

• Advances in integrating TB care into health systems

• New approaches to providing support from members of the community to people affected by TB  

• Innovative ways of raising awareness about TB