The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the expanded scope of the WHO Director-General’s (DG) Flagship Initiative on Tuberculosis as the world commemorates World TB Day.
The Initiative which is running for a period of five years is intended to fast-track progress towards ending TB and achieving universal health coverage by 2030.
WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom says the initiative builds on the progress achieved and lessons learned from 2018-2022.
The initiative aims to scale up the delivery of quality care to people living with TB through equitable access to WHO-recommended rapid diagnostics, shorter all-oral treatment for infection and disease, increasing their access to social protection and other innovations including digital tools for health.
Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s top infectious killers, causing 1.6 million deaths each year and affecting millions more, with enormous impacts on families and communities.
The theme for this year’s TB day is ‘Yes! We can end TB!’