March 24 is World Tuberculosis (TB) Day!
Every year, March 24th marks World Tuberculosis Day, an annual campaign led by the World Health Organization to raise awareness about tuberculosis (TB), as well as highlight the worldwide commitment to eliminate tuberculosis by ensuring equitable access to prevention, treatment and care for this disease.
The theme for 2025 is: YES! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver
Join us on World TB Day as the Convention Centre, Esplanade Bridge, and the Winnipeg sign at the Forks will be lit in red to recognize the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium causing TB (which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease) and acknowledge the individuals and communities affected by this devastating disease.
TB continues to affect millions of people worldwide. In 2023, 1.25 million people died from TB disease and 10.6 million people fell ill from the disease. Globally it has been the top cause of death due to a single infectious agent every year until it was surpassed by COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. In 2024 Manitoba once again reported an increase of individuals newly diagnosed with TB. Although Canada is a low-incidence country, TB disease is inequitably distributed with newcomer and Indigenous communities continuing to experience a TB burden considerably higher than the overall population.
TB is preventable, treatable, and curable. Early identification and diagnosis are best for positive outcomes for those affected by TB. Once diagnosed and receiving treatment, good health care and social supports throughout the treatment period are key to ensuring patients complete treatment successfully.
Learn more:
- For general clinical information see the WRHA Tuberculosis for Health Care Providers page click here
- Further information on 2025 World TB Day can be found at: Resources — Stop TB Canada, Stop TB Partnership and World TB Day 2025 (who.int)
- To see the most recent WHO Global Report on TB (2024) click here
- Chief Public Health Officer spotlight on eliminating tuberculosis in Canada click here
- For an infographic about Tuberculosis in Canada click here and for Tuberculosis in First Nations in Canada click here
- Read more about the Government of Canada’s 2025 Tuberculosis response click here
- For information regarding how access to essential Tuberculosis medicine is effecting care in Canada click here
Please join us in recognizing and raising awareness on March 24th, that YES! TB Still Exists! and YES! We Can End TB!
And please join us March 21st, 2025 for our Lunch & Learn where we will be discussing TB and hearing from a TB survivor click here