World TB Day today

Every year, 24 March is observed as World TB Day to amplify the urgency of ending tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease. 

TB continues to devastate millions globally, inflicting severe health, social and economic consequences, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. 

This year’s theme is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”. It offers an opportunity to reflect on ongoing efforts and encourage stronger commitment at local, national and international levels to end TB, including by combatting the growing threat of drug-resistant TB.

TB is a contagious airborne disease caused mainly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis which most often affects the lungs. TB is spread through the air when people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit. A person needs to inhale only a few germs to become infected.

Stronger commitment is crucial, especially as declining international funding for TB in the current geopolitical climate threatens the achievement of global targets to end TB by 2030.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been funding the effort to banish TB in Bangladesh for the last two decades. However, as USAID has stopped funding in Bangladesh recently, a negative effect was seen on TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Several awareness campaigns have stopped. USAID financed an app named 'Janao' to facilitate the fight against TB in Bangladesh. However, that too has become inactive. Treatment for drug-resistant TB has become unavailable. As a result, the risk of TB may rise in the country again. 

According to experts, around 17 per cent of TB patients in Bangladesh remain outside the scope of diagnosis. The government should take measures to accelerate the efforts in TB programmes. 

According to WHO data, 3,16,374 TB patients were detected worldwide in 2024. 44,000 people died from TB worldwide in 2023.