World Tuberculosis Day 2023

• World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed on 24th March every year to spread awareness about the disease.
• India aims to make the nation TB-free by 2025, whereas the Global Target for TB elimination is 2030.
• Theme for 2023: Yes! We can end TB!
• Significance – On this day in 1882, Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that causes TB
• As per WHO World Health Organisation, every day, over 4100 people lose their lives to TB and about 28,000 people fall ill with this disease.
• India accounts for roughly 28% of TB cases in the world, as per the Global TB Report 2022.

About Tuberculosis

• Tuberculosis is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
• The most common affected organs are lungs, pleura (lining around the lungs), lymph nodes, intestines, spine, and brain.
• It is an airborne infection that spreads through close contact with the infected, especially in densely populated spaces with poor ventilation
• Symptoms: Common symptoms of active lung TB are cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats.
• Treatment: TB is a treatable and curable disease. It is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.
• Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a form of TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to isoniazid and rifampicin, the 2 most powerful, first-line anti-TB drugs.
  • MDR-TB is treatable and curable by using second-line drugs such as Bedaquiline.
• Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a more serious form of MDR-TB caused by bacteria that do not respond to the most effective second-line anti-TB drugs, often leaving patients without any further treatment options.