On 24th of March 1882 it was first announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis by Dr. Robert Koch. This led to a significant success in the field of medicine as it led the way to find an effective cure to the devastating disease which caused a significant number of deaths through the ages. Back then one out of every seven people in the European region died of this illness. In Asian countries the situation must have been far worse. To commemorate this significant discovery the 24th of March every year is named and recognized as the World Tuberculosis Day all around the world.
The theme of the World Tuberculosis Day for the year 2023 is “Yes! We can end TB!“, which emphasizes on persuading leaders across the globe to act to stop the TB epidemic.
Until recognizing the bacterium and finding antibiotics, cure for tuberculosis remains highly primitive. In the middle ages people even depended on mythical beliefs such as a touch from a member of royal families could cure the disease for good while many others had to expect warmth, rest and good food would cure the disease. In the early 1800s cod liver oil, vinegar messages and inhaling hemlock was widely used as remedies for the cause. But now with the series of researches and after countless medical discoveries and identification of antibiotics a 6 months long antibiotic treatment course would cure TB for good.
Even after decades of recognizing the bacteria and finding a cure the disease is still out there causing deaths. While for many people tuberculosis is not so deadly, for people with HIV and other weaknesses in immune systems TB could cause deaths when exposed. According to data in Sri Lanka in 2021 the number of reported cases of tuberculosis was 63 cases per 100000 people. Incidences of TB have fallen gradually from 66 to 63 cases per 100000 people since 2002.
According to experts in the field with still ongoing researches and medical programs it is expected that TB could be eradicated completely from the world by 2045 with proper funding in the research and medicinal attention on the subject.
Spread awareness and pay attention. Together lets eradicate TB from the globe!
