World Tuberculosis Day 2020

Theme of World TB Day 2020

Each year, we commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The date pointsout the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch confirmed that he had discovered the bacterium that is main reason of TB, which was the first step of diagnosing and curing this disease. 

TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer. Each day, over 3500 people died because of TB and close to 32,000 people tested positive for this preventable and curable disease. Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 58 million lives since the year 2000. To accelerate the TB response in countries to reach targets – Heads of State came together and made strong commitments to end TB at the first-ever UN High Level Meeting in September 2018.

Under the theme ‘It’s Time’, the spotlight this year is on urgently accelerating the TB response to save lives and end suffering, building on high level commitments by Heads of State at the 2018 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.

The theme of World TB Day 2020 - ‘It’s time’ – puts the accent on the urgency to act on the commitments made by global leaders to:

scale up access to prevention and treatment;

build accountability;

ensure sufficient and sustainable financing including for research;

promote an end to stigma and discrimination, and

promote an equitable, rights-based and people-centered TB response.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a joint initiative “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership, with the aim of accelerating the TB response and ensuring access to care, in line with WHO’s overall drive towards Universal Health Coverage. 

This World TB Day, WHO calls on governments, affected communities, civil society organizations, health-care providers, and national/international partners to unite forces under the banner “Find. Treat. All. #EndTB” to ensure no one is left behind. 

It’s time for action! It’s time to End TB.