President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by Proclamation declared Monday, March 24, 2014 “World TB Day” which is to be observed throughout the Republic as a Working Holiday.

TB is for tuberculosis.

The day will be celebrated under the theme: “Reach The Three Million, A TB Test, Treatment and Care For All”.

The Proclamation calls on the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and other Government Agencies as well as international and local organizations concerned to initiate and execute appropriate programs befitting the occasion.

According to the Proclamation, Liberia will join health partners and the rest of the global community in celebrating the event as part of efforts to protect the health and welfare of its citizens and foreign residents.

The Proclamation also discloses recent World Health Organization (WHO) report on Liberia which shows about 7,822 new TB cases of which 3, 820 were smear positive while 11 and 950 diagnosed as multi-drug resistance and TB/HIV co-infected respectively. Meanwhile, the report pointed out that various global initiatives have been taken to stop the epidemic.

While recounting the damaging effects and burden tuberculosis poses to Africa, other developing countries and the entire global community, the Proclamation  added that nations around the world will celebrate World TB Day on March 24, 2014 to create awareness that TB remains an epidemic which is causing the deaths of one-and-a half million people each year, particularly in developing countries.