Media Releases

World Tuberculosis Day - 24 March

Although Australia maintains low rates of TB, we cannot afford to be complacent according to the National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee.

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19 March 2009

Tuesday 24 March is World Tuberculosis Day.

World TB Day aims to raise awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease.

The theme for World TB Day 2009 is ‘I am stopping TB’. The disease is preventable and curable when it is recognised and effectively treated.

A total of 9.2 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths occurred in 2006. According to the World Health Organization, someone in the world is newly infected with TB every second. Australia continues to maintain low rates of TB with the current incidence below 6 cases per 100,000 population.

Australia is fortunate to have one of the best TB control programs in the world. Australia’s effective migration health screening, high standard of public health laboratories that undertake TB identification and drug susceptibility testing, and effective TB control services in each state and territory all contribute to stopping further transmission of TB in Australia and maintaining low numbers of the disease.

Although Australia maintains low rates of TB, we cannot afford to be complacent. Emergence of multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant strains of TB in the Asia-Pacific region is a public health concern and Australian TB experts are working with countries in the region and the World Health Organization to help control the disease.

The National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee provides strategic and expert advice on issues related to the control of TB in Australia and around the world and works together with the Australian Government to ensure Australia’s high standards of TB control are maintained.

The annual event on 24 March marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch detected the cause of TB, which was the first step towards diagnosing and curing TB.

Media inquiries: Dr Vicki Krause, Chair, National Tuberculosis Advisory Committee – Contact Kay McNiece, 0412 132 585 to arrange an interview.