WORLD TB DAY – Yes! We can end TB By Dr Allan Pamba - Executive Vice President, (Roche Diagnostics)
World Tuberculosis (TB) Day takes place on 24 March every year. But the truth is, we should be thinking about TB every day – especially in Africa. The World TB Day theme for 2023 is “Yes! We can end TB!” – and this is quite a poignant statement – because, as simple as the slogan may sound at first glance, TB is preventable and curable. Still, 10 million people fall ill with tuberculosis annually. It remains the world’s most infectious killer and is also the leading cause of death for those infected with HIV. The reality in Africa TB is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. 25% of all TB cases are in Africa, and so are 25% of all deaths. Africa’s HIV burden causes further complications, as those infected with HIV are 18 times more likely to develop TB. The conditions form a lethal paradox, both accelerating the development of the other. 85% of TB patients in Africa are also HIV positive. Despite the stark reality, however, according to the World Health Organiz...