World Tuberculosis Day

World Tuberculosis Day History

World Tuberculosis Day aims to raise awareness about Tuberculosis (TB), a potentially fatal disease that primarily affects the lungs. Its primary purposes include public education on the health, social, and economic implications of TB and the need for prevention and cure. This annual observance also brings attention to the plight of the millions of people worldwide who are denied adequate access to TB services owing to poverty, marginalization, and other forms of social disadvantage.

World Tuberculosis Day was established by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 24, 1982, commemorating the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium causing tuberculosis. Within an American context, the risk of TB remains relatively low owing to advances in healthcare and strong public health infrastructure. However, certain populations including immigrants, refugees, and people living with HIV are more susceptible according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This day advocates for continued vigilance and investment in research to achieve a TB-free America.

In the United States, World Tuberculosis Day is marked with an array of activities aimed at raising awareness and mobilizing political and social commitment towards eliminating the disease. These may include press conferences, educational workshops, and public service announcements. Occasionally, landmarks may be lit in red to symbolize the struggle against TB. World Tuberculosis Day occurs each year on the 24th of March.

Facts about World Tuberculosis Day

• The theme for World Tuberculosis Day in 2025 was Unite to End Tuberculosis, the theme for 2023 - 2024 was Yes! We can end TB, and in 2022 was Invest to End TB. Save Lives.
• Tuberculosis is the leading killer of HIV/AIDS-positive people according to CDC.
• The struggle to end TB is not just a struggle against a single disease. It’s also the struggle to end poverty, inequity, unsafe housing, discrimination and stigma, and to extend social protection and universal health coverage. - World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom
• The World Health Organization estimated that around the world in 2021, 10.6 million people fell ill, and 1.6 million people died from tuberculosis.
• Tuberculosis occurs in every part of the world. The largest number of cases in the world occur in India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, and South Africa.

In the News and Trending in the US for World Tuberculosis Day

Top things to do in the US for World Tuberculosis Day

• Stay informed about tuberculosis and its symptoms.
• Learn more about the history of tuberculosis and how doctors have worked to treat it.
• Read The Plague and I, a memoir by Betty MacDonald. MacDonald recounts her battle with tubeculosis in a humorous way.