WHO Calls for Urgent Action to End Tuberculosis

The World Health Organisation has warned that despite the fact fewer people than anticipated fell ill and died from tuberculosis in 2017, countries still need to do more to end the disease by 2030.

The organisation stated that although global efforts averted an estimated 54 million TB deaths since 2000, it still remained the world’s deadliest infectious disease.

WHO, in its 2018 Global Tuberculosis Report, released in New York on Monday, called for an unprecedented mobilisation of national and international commitments.

It urged more than 50 heads of states, governments and political leaders gathering for the first United Nations high-level meeting on TB, to take decisive action by building on recent moves by the leaders of India, the Russian Federation, Rwanda and South Africa.

Calling for a joint effort to put an end to the disease, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “We have never seen such high-level political attention and understanding of what the world needs to do to end TB and drug-resistant TB. We must capitalise on this new momentum and act together to end this terrible disease.

“To meet the global target of ending TB by 2030, countries need to urgently accelerate their response by increasing domestic and international funding to fight the disease.”

On his part, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme, Dr Tereza Kasaeva, said the millions of death occasioned by the curable disease was unacceptable. “It is unacceptable that millions lose their lives, and many more suffer daily from this preventable and curable disease. We need to join forces to root out this disease that has a devastating social and economic impact on those who are left behind, whose human rights and dignity are limited, as well as those who struggle to access care. The time for action is now.”

WHO also said it would guide national and global actions to reach everyone with care, including those with TB, through a transformative health agenda and push towards Universal Health Coverage.

The organisation disclosed that its effort included proactive engagement with civil society and other key stakeholders to jointly help countries get on track to end TB.