World Tuberculosis Day this year brings up new and more ambitious goals on the fight against tuberculosis. Reaching all tuberculosis patients and providing all of them with care services, achieving zero death for tuberculosis and HIV co-infected patients, providing all people with mutidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) with accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, and setting a new tuberculosis research agenda are the most important goals that draw the map to transform global efforts from fighting to eliminating tuberculosis.

“The Eastern Mediterranean Region has made appreciable progress in expanding tuberculosis care. The regional case detection rate is 63% and the treatment success rate is around 88%,” Dr Hussein A. Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean said today, the eve of World Tuberculosis Day. This year World Tuberculosis Day is being commemorated worldwide under the theme On the move against tuberculosis–transforming the fight towards elimination.

“Yet, this is not enough when more than 110 000 people are dying because of tuberculosis every year in countries of the Region,” the Regional Director added. “This World Tuberculosis Day demands that we not only sustain the existing gains we have made but also focus more on addressing the remaining 37% of cases that go undiagnosed and that receive no care.” He called on policy- and decision-makers to make tuberculosis care a priority.

Tuberculosis, a preventable, curable and centuries-old disease is still present and results in the deaths of thousands of people every year. If no action is taken, it is estimated that at least 8 million people will die of tuberculosis unnecessarily between now and 2015 across the world.

Since the initiation of DOTS, the basic package that underpins the global Stop TB Strategy, almost a decade ago, considerable progress has been achieved. However, there is an urgent need to move faster, focusing efforts on increased access to quality tuberculosis care services, especially in countries with high burden of tuberculosis and for the marginalized and the poor in those countries.

Moving to the elimination phase means detecting and treating cases of tuberculosis correctly and without delay.

According to studies and research, all tuberculosis patients should be tested for HIV and all people receiving HIV care services should be screened for tuberculosis. A safe and effective vaccine, which is so highly needed, has yet to emerge and requires more investment from the development community and other donors.

Almost all countries worldwide are celebrating World Tuberculosis Day. National tuberculosis programmes, nongovernmental organizations and other civil society forces are celebrating the day on 24 March. Events differ from one country to another, but all are highlighting the following key messages.

It’s time to break the barriers to a world free of tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis programmes around the world save millions of lives every year, but we need to move faster. If we fail to step up action today, about 40 million people will become ill with tuberculosis and at least 8 million will die unnecessarily between now and 2015. Tuberculosis is an ancient disease, but today it is curable. In the 21st century, no one should die from tuberculosis.

It’s time for an ambitious new research agenda.

Recent research has brought us new rapid diagnostics, which are coming to market this year. More research will take us to the next critical step: a simple point-of-care test that can be used in any basic health care setting and requires little technical knowledge. New drugs for MDR-TB are on the horizon. A stronger investment will make them available as soon as possible. We will not eliminate tuberculosis without a vaccine that is safe and effective in preventing the disease in people of all ages, but vaccine research is vastly underfunded. Funders need to step up their contribution to tuberculosis research today to achieve zero tuberculosis deaths tomorrow.

It’s time for public health programmes to reach all tuberculosis patients.

A third of people with tuberculosis are not reached with accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. Civil society, all health care providers—including those in the private sector—and businesses need to team up to drive universal access to tuberculosis care. It is a goal that also requires modernizing laboratories, ensuring reliable access to high-quality medicines and taking action to mobilize additional resources.

It’s time for ambitious new goals on MDR-TB treatment.

We know what is needed to scale up MDR-TB treatment: strong commitment by governments, a reliable supply of high-quality drugs, an engaged health workforce and engaged communities. We can reach the goals of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2011–2015 and push beyond them. By 2015, all people with MDR-TB should receive accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

It’s time to move rapidly towards zero deaths from tuberculosis and HIV co-infection.

Our goals are clear. By 2015, half as many people should die from HIV-associated tuberculosis. 100% of tuberculosis patients should be tested for HIV and 100% of people in HIV care services should be screened for tuberculosis. All people living with HIV should be receiving preventive treatment or anti-tuberculosis drugs as appropriate. 2011 is the time for a massive scale-up to realize universal access to tuberculosis and HIV services.