World TB Day (March 24) - History, Significance, Theme

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Mar 6, 2023, 10:54

World TB Day is celebrated annually on March 24 to raise awareness amongst people about the causes, effects and treatment of tuberculosis (TB). TB still remains one of the deadliest bacterial diseases ever caused to humankind. It is considered to be an infectious killer and World Tuberculosis Day aims to educate people about the impact of TB on the global population.

The purpose of a dedicated day to tackle TB is to highlight the consequences of TB with the aim to step up efforts towards TB eradication. We have shared further information about World TB Day 2023, its theme, history and importance here.

World TB Day 2023

Tuberculosis is a deadly disease spread by a contagious virus. World Tuberculosis Day is an attempt to make more and more people aware of the deadly consequences of this disease. TB is among the leading causes of death among people in the world. In 2018, 1.5 million people perished because of TB. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness about this disease through World TB Day.

Tuberculosis mostly affects people from low to middle-income countries. Every year, the World Health Organization also launches campaigns on TB Day to spread the message. Here is a brief overview of the day:

Day	World TB Day
Celebrated	March 24 (every year)
Observed	All United Nations Member States
World Tb Day Theme 2023	Yes! We can end TB!
Aim	To raise awareness about TB and its causes.

TB Day - What is TB?

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that affects the lungs. It is caused by bacteria and is identified by symptoms such as coughing, fatigue, weight loss, etc. World Tuberculosis Day raises awareness about TB symptoms and causes so that people are able to identify the disease and get timely treatment.

World TB Day - Facts about TB

With the combined global efforts to end TB, 66,000,000 lives have been saved since the year 2000.
In 2020, 9,900,000 people contracted this disease.
In the year 2020, 1,500,000 people died of TB worldwide.

World TB Day Theme 2023

This year, the World TB Day theme 2023 is “Yes! We can end TB!” This year’s theme is about reinforcing the belief that we can put an end to the deadly infectious TB disease. Every year, the World Health Organization announces a new theme on World Tuberculosis Day.

Here, we have shared some of the previous year’s themes on TB Day:

Year	World Tuberculosis Theme
2023	Yes! We can end TB!
2022	Invest to end TB. Save Lives
2021	The Clock is Ticking
2020	It’s Time to End TB
2019	It’s Time
2018	Wanted: Leaders for a TB-free world
2017	Unite to End TB
2015	Gear Up to End TB
2014	Reach the Three Million
2013	Stop TB in My Lifetime
2012	Tell the world what you want to see in your lifetime
2011	Transforming the fight
2010	Innovate to accelerate action
2008-09	I am Stopping TB

World Tuberculosis Day - History

World TB Day is celebrated every year on March 24. It is one out of the eleven official global public health campaigns recognised and marked by WHO. Here are some details about the history of TB Day:

This day commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacillus that causes tuberculosis.
The name of the bacterium that causes TB was announced as Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Every day, over 4,100 people lose their lives due to TB, and almost 28,000 people fall ill due to this highly infectious yet preventable and curable disease.
Since the year 2000, collective global efforts to combat the impact of this deadly disease have successfully saved over 66 million lives globally.

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FAQs on World TB Day

Q1. When is World TB Day celebrated?

World TB Day is celebrated on March 24 every year. On this day, people raise awareness about tuberculosis, its causes and its effects. World TB Day is recognized by the World Health Organization and is observed by all United Nations Member States on March 24.

Q2. What is the theme of World TB Day 2023?

World TB Day theme 2023 is “Yes! We can end TB!”. Every year, the World Health Organization announces a new theme for TB Day. This year’s theme indicates that with united effort and aspiration, we can end the spread of tuberculosis. World TB Day raises awareness about preventing the spread of the disease.

Q3. Who proposed the idea of celebrating World TB Day?

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) proposed March 24 be recognised as World TB day. The Union proposed this idea on the one-hundredth anniversary of Dr Koch's discovery and presentation of the cause of TB, in the year 1982.

Q4. What is the significance of World TB Day?

World TB Day provides an opportunity to organise political as well as social commitments for future progress by way of reducing and eliminating TB as a public health disorder. World Tuberculosis Day also helps to educate people about the causes, effects, prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.

Q5. Why is World TB Day celebrated on March 24?

World TB Day is celebrated on March 24 because on that day in 1882, Dr Robert Koch discovered the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, TB bacillus. This was an important discovery because finding out the cause of the disease led to eventually finding out the cure. Therefore, to commemorate this discovery, World TB Day is celebrated on March 24.