Today is World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, which takes place annually to raise global awareness of the ongoing burden of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease. We asked editorial board member Prof. Juzar Ali for his reflections on the progress made and the challenges that remain in achieving global TB control.
March 24 traditionally marks World tuberculosis (TB) Day. Every year we commemorate this day with the usual fanfare of renewed goals, updated deadlines, and newer catchy slogans. In my opinion, the passion of TB control is dampened by cynicism of years of erratic fragmented actions.
I grew up in Pakistan in the 1960’s and remember helping my dad in his pharmacy, dispensing para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) tablets and Streptomycin injections. Today, we have newer, effective drugs with shorter durations of treatment, improved diagnostic tools, and a more scientifically research-driven understanding of the disease and infection.
Yet TB control is still elusive.
There are many reasons for this failure and there is enough blame for all of us to share. The list is too long. In my view, the reasons are at times excuses of a local, regional, national, and global geopolitical nature with displaced priorities of funding or lack thereof, which neglect the social and societal determinants of meaningful health care.
It is striking that a disease with a high cure rate is still the world’s leading cause of death from an infectious disease, its short-term and long-term morbidity notwithstanding.
TB control is as local as it is global, and all local authorities are equally responsible for implementing the components of the programs that are essential to their success. These include, but are not limited to, more vigorous contact screening, addressing co-morbidities and incorporating primary and family care in the paradigm of care.
More drugs to treat TB will undoubtedly be developed, but we will never control this disease unless these associated factors that have perpetuated this scourge are addressed.
More needs to be done at all levels by all of us.
We do not need a World TB Day. We need World NO TB DAY!
More from Prof. Juzar Ali in the field of tuberculosis:
- Isolation in Tuberculosis Care: Part One of a Two-part Focus on Modern Tuberculosis Care
- Tuberculosis Care in Isolation: Part Two of a Two-part Focus on Modern Tuberculosis Care
Further content in respiratory infections.
Cite: From World TB Day to a world without TB. touchRESPIRATORY. 24 March 2025.
Disclosures: This short article was prepared by touchRESPIRATORY in collaboration with Juzar Ali. Views expressed are the speaker’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Touch Medical Media. No fees or funding were associated with publication of this article.
Register now to receive the touchRESPIRATORY newsletter!
Don’t miss out on hearing about our latest peer reviewed articles, expert opinions, conference news, podcasts and more.
