THE WORLD TB DAY

The World TB Day is held on March 24 every year. It was set to coincide with the day the cure for tuberculosis was found by Doctor Robert Koch in 1882. Before the cure, TB had been claiming many lives across the world. The World Health Organization declared World TB Day to raise awareness that despite the presence of a cure, Tuberculosis is endemic in some parts of the world. WHO addresses a different theme on every World TB Day. The theme in 2015 was ‘Gear up to end TB’ while the main topic in 2016 was ‘Unite to End TB’. Event activities that take on this day include award ceremonies to recognize efforts of dedicated people in the eradication of TB, charity activities geared to raise funds and facilitate control of Tuberculosis, marches, and art exhibitions in an attempt to increase world awareness.