Approximately 37 million lives have been saved between 2000 and 2013 through the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and it is possible to end the epidemic by 2035, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on March 24. But victory is not guaranteed, he added.
March 24 is celebrated worldwide as World Tuberculosis Day.
“I urge governments, communities affected by tuberculosis and health workers around the world to intensify their efforts in line with the ambitious strategy established by the World Health Assembly in 2014 to end the global epidemic within two decades,” he stated, according to a report released by the UN News Centre.
TB is one of the world's top infectious killers, says the report. It killed 1.5 million people in 2013 and infected 9 million. The disease affects vulnerable populations the most.
“For women aged 15 to 44, tuberculosis is one of the top five killers. For children, prisoners, migrants and those living with HIV, TB remains the most common form of illness and the leading cause of death,” says the report.