World Tuberculosis Day

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed every year on March 24 to mark the day in 1882 when German physician Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. This discovery opened the way for diagnosing, treating and eventually controlling a disease that had previously been known simply as “consumption”.

Today, TB remains one of the world’s top infectious killers. Millions of people fall ill with tuberculosis each year, and over a million die from the disease despite the fact that TB is both preventable and curable with modern medicine.

Why it matters

Tuberculosis is an airborne disease that mainly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB), but it can also involve other organs such as lymph nodes, bones, kidneys or the brain (extra-pulmonary TB). When a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes or even speaks loudly, tiny droplets containing TB bacteria can spread through the air and be inhaled by others. Overcrowded housing, poor ventilation, malnutrition, HIV infection and diabetes all increase the risk of developing TB disease.

Globally, TB has been one of the leading causes of death from a single infectious agent. In recent years, around 10 million people have developed TB annually and more than 1 million people have died from it, even though effective treatment exists. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), which does not respond to the two most powerful first-line anti-TB medicines, has become a serious threat and makes treatment longer, more toxic and more expensive.

World TB Day matters because it draws attention to the need for early diagnosis, free access to quality-assured medicines, support to complete the full treatment course, and strong public health systems that can find “missing” TB cases. It also highlights the importance of fighting stigma and misinformation, so that people with a persistent cough or weight loss feel safe to get tested instead of hiding their illness.

History

Although TB has affected humans for thousands of years, it was only on 24 March 1882 that Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of the TB bacillus in Berlin. At that time, TB was causing one out of every seven deaths in Europe and the Americas. His work paved the way for laboratory diagnosis and, decades later, for the development of anti-TB drugs and vaccines.

The idea of World TB Day emerged from international TB organisations in the 1980s and 1990s, and the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners began observing March 24 as an official awareness day in the mid-1990s. Since then, WHO and global partners use World TB Day each year to launch new reports, share updated data and promote themes such as “Yes! We can end TB”, focusing on country leadership, community engagement and investment in better tests, shorter treatments and an effective TB vaccine.

Key facts

In Bangladesh

Bangladesh is recognised by WHO as one of the world’s high TB-burden countries, with a large number of new TB cases and deaths every year. Crowded living conditions, urban slums, undernutrition, diabetes and labour migration all contribute to the continued spread of TB.

The Government of Bangladesh runs a comprehensive National TB Control Programme (NTP), which follows the WHO-recommended DOTS strategy (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course). Under this programme, free TB diagnosis and treatment are offered at government hospitals, Upazila Health Complexes, Union health facilities and through many NGO clinics across the country. Sputum microscopy, GeneXpert tests and chest X‑rays are used to diagnose TB, and patients receive fixed-dose combination anti-TB drugs for the full course, often supported by health workers who help them take medicines regularly.

Bangladesh has made significant progress in detecting and treating TB cases, but challenges remain. Many people with TB symptoms do not seek care early, or first visit informal providers and drug shops instead of going to designated TB centres. Stigma, fear of job loss, and lack of awareness about free services can delay diagnosis. Multidrug-resistant TB is also an emerging concern and requires specialised treatment centres and second-line drugs.

On World Tuberculosis Day, government agencies, the NTP, professional societies, NGOs and community groups in Bangladesh organise rallies, TB screening camps, interactive discussions on TV and radio, and awareness sessions in factories, schools and mosques. Messages focus on recognising warning signs—such as cough for more than two weeks, weight loss, fever, and night sweats—encouraging people to get tested, complete the full course of treatment, and support neighbours or family members living with TB instead of avoiding them.