Every March 24, Tuberculosis Day is celebrated worldwide with the aim of raising awareness of the consequences of this disease and the need to end the global epidemic of tuberculosis, which remains deadly despite advances in its diagnosis and treatment. March 24 was chosen as Tuberculosis Day in honor of Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery of the bacterium that causes the disease in 1882.
In those days, tuberculosis was a very serious and deadly disease, affecting one in seven people in Europe. Koch’s discovery helped point the way to a solution, but much remains to be done to eradicate the disease. In 2020, 9.9 million people were infected with tuberculosis, and 1.5 million died because they were unable to overcome it.
Despite advances in its prevention and treatment, tuberculosis remains a highly lethal infectious disease that kills some 4,100 people every day. For this reason, the celebration of World Tuberculosis Day aims to raise awareness of the health, economic, and social consequences of the disease and to make an extra effort to prevent and treat it.
It is important to involve everyone, not only governments but also society in general, in order to prevent and cure tuberculosis and put an end to the discrimination suffered by people who suffer from it. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down progress in the prevention of the disease, so it is necessary to join forces to continue advancing in the fight against this disease.