Ruddyman:
I know most of our attention today is focused on the re-run elections going on in different parts of Nigeria, but let's not forget that today Today is worldtuberculosisday.

March 24th of every year is set aside to commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.
The date marks the day in 1882 When Dr Robert Koch announced his discovering of the bacterium that causes TB.


Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) which is curable and preventable is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs.

TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.


Who’s At Risk?
- All age groups.
- Mostly adults in their productive years
- People living in developing economies as over 95% of new cases of TB are from there.
- People suffering from HIV and other related immune systems weakening diseases.
- Children
- And Tobacco users


Symptoms

- Cough
- Fever
- Night Sweats
- Weight loss

TB remains the world's deadliest infections killer, with a global daily mortality rate of around #4500 people and another 30'000 failing ills to it daily.

In 2017, 87% of new TB cases occurred in the 30 high TB burden countries. Eight countries accounted for two-thirds of the new TB cases: The countries are India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and South Africa.

This year's theme is "IT'S TIME" #EndTB

Below is World Health Organization ( WHO ) Key facts on Tuberculosis

•Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

•In 2017, 10 million people fell ill with TB, and 1.6 million died from the disease (including 0.3 million among people with HIV).

•In 2017, an estimated 1 million children became ill with TB and 230 000 children died of TB (including children with HIV associated TB).

•TB is a leading killer of HIV-positive people.

•Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis and a health security threat. WHO estimates that there were 558 000 new
cases with resistance to rifampicin – the most effective first-line drug, of which - 82% had MDR-TB.

•Globally, TB incidence is falling at about 2% per year. This needs to accelerate to a 4–5% annual decline to reach the 2020 milestones of t
he End TB Strategy.

•An estimated 54 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment between 2000 and 2017.

•Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 is among the health targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.


Treatment
The best form of treatment remains prevention and that’s were TB BCG vaccine comes in this vaccine though is no longer in use in most developed economies.

TB is a treatable and curable disease. Active, drug-susceptible TB disease is treated with a standard 6-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision, and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer.

Between 2000 and 2017, an estimated 54 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment.


To learn more about Tuberculosis and BCG Vaccines please visit the link below.
https://outreachgroup.com.ng/all-you-need-to-know-about-tuberculosis-and-bcg-tb-vaccine/