Press Release No. 3
29 March 2006
On the World Tuberculosis Day:
The Stop TB Partnership
Opens Broad Horizons for Saving Millions of Lives
With the entire world celebration of the World
Tuberculosis Day (WTBD) this week, Global battle continues to roll back this
serious disease which kills hundreds of thousands of individuals everywhere.
This, despite the fact that it is a preventable disease.
The WTBD is being celebrated this year with a concurrence by the
International Community on the proper ways to confront the challenge this
disease is imposing. This can be attained through the “Global Plan to Stop
Tuberculosis, 2006-2015”, which came to existence as a result of
collaborative hard work of 400 agencies, comprising International
Organizations, countries, donating institutions and government and private
organizations, as well as individuals.
This plan was declared during the World Economic Forum, held in Davos last
January. Implementation of this plan will cost about US$ 56 billions, over
the next ten years. Of this amount, EMR shall incur, at least, three
billions.
This figure represents the largest investment, ever, in a health cause.
Nevertheless, it is the most cost effective one, given that it can save up
to 20 million lives; that is about 2 million individuals every year, for the
next decade.
Dr Hussein Gezairy, Regional Director for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region confirms that “we can save over 1.400.000 lives in this region over ten years. This, in addition to the millions of families who will be spared the unnecessary sufferings caused by Tuberculosis”. Dr Gezairy has called for support of this Global Plan. He has also called for more political commitment, enhancing public awareness and cognition of Tuberculosis – related information, and mobilization of all resources needed to continue efforts to combat this disease in the Region, over the next ten years.
WHO has launched this year’s WTBD under the slogan “Action for Life… Towards a World Free of Tuberculosis”.
WHO, through this campaign, appeals to all concerned parties to offer their support to the Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis, in an endeavor to save millions of people killed by this disease, in as much as 5000 every day. Unfortunately, most of these victims are from the poorest countries of the World. On the other hand, Tuberculosis inflicts millions of other people. About one third of the World population carries Tuberculosis infection. This means that the disease is hidden in them and can become active at a subsequent stage.
No such extended Global emergency has been known in the World, beside the one declared for Tuberculosis control. The disease is declared a Global Emergency by WHO since 1993. Health and economic impact of this disease, on patients and their families, is devastating, despite the fact that cure is attainable with medications costing as little as US$ 14-16, per patient.
The situation is worsened by the reciprocal impact of Tuberculosis and AIDS. Tuberculosis has now become the main cause of death in AIDS patients. In turn, AIDS infection is considered a risk factor leading to development of the hidden infection into active T.B. Moreover, the emergence of drug-resisting tuberculosis in almost all countries of the world has rendered this disease a world public health problem.
For several years, the main problem has always been the utilization of obsolete and curtailed diagnostic and treatment technology, combined by the slim efforts being made to stop T.B. world-wide.
Nevertheless, with the new technology and its notable capabilities, together with the early detection and treatment of the disease, the picture can be much brighter.
This is the core of DOTS strategy which has proven quite effective in a number of Asian and Latin American countries. However, the need is still pressing to render this strategy utilizable on a general scale. It is hoped for the Stop TB Partnership, which was established in 2000 for accelerating socio-political action aiming at stopping prevalence of the disease in the world, to make a significant difference in all countries, via its ambitions plan.
Should this plan continue as intended and aspired, it would be possible to achieve several objectives by 2015, to include stoppage of T.B. incidence and start of infection reduction, by the year 2015. This will lead to achieve partnership objectives, evading death, assuring quality of care and introducing new treatment medications and safe and effective vaccines.
