“I think the most important thing is to become aware of the TB crisis. This is a crisis that has been unfolding over decades, and when crises unfold in slow motion, we often don’t pay much attention to them. But right now, especially, the TB crisis is just profound. People have seen their treatment interrupted over the last several weeks, and when we interrupt treatment for people living with TB in the midst of their antibiotic regimens, there’s a much greater chance that they’ll develop drug resistance, which is a personal catastrophe—it makes the disease much more likely to be fatal—but it’s also a societal catastrophe because it means there’s more drug-resistant tuberculosis floating around, giving the chance for the disease to evolve even further resistance and potentially evolve resistance to all of our existing tools to fight it, which is a truly terrifying prospect, not just in impoverished communities but for all people everywhere.” – John Green, author of Everything is Tuberculosis
Every year, March 24 is observed as World TB Day to amplify the urgency of ending tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease. TB continues to devastate millions globally, inflicting severe health, social and economic consequences.
Stronger commitment is crucial, especially as declining international funding for TB in the current geopolitical climate threatens the achievement of global targets to end TB by 2030.
Most troubling are the recent cuts to USAID. The World Health Organization warns that the funding cuts are endangering millions of lives and threatening to undo hard won progress against TB. Click here to read more.
GRAN has recently signed on to a joint letter to the Prime Minister calling for action to speak out against these cuts and to work with governments, the private sector and other partners, including affected communities and civil society, to resolve this global public health catastrophe. Click here to read the letter.
