World Tuberculosis Day

March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day.  This day was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness.  

According to the WHO there are large populations of the world that make up 86% of new cases.  These include India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and South Africa.  Funding is needed to test in these countries and lower the cases.

Tuberculosis is curable thanks in part to Dr. Robert Koch who on March 24, 1882 discovered the bacterium that causes it.  The first person was vaccinated in 1921.  In the United States we had only a little over 7,000 cases in 2020 and while the count is low we should not get complacent with testing.  Talk to your healthcare provider about testing and if you are at high risk and need a vaccine.

Private Home Health Care knows that tuberculosis can be latent and never become a factor.  We also know that it is important that we in the healthcare field stay vigilant and aware.