President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by Proclamation declared Thursday, March 24, 2016, “World TB Day”. which is to be observed throughout the country as a Working Holiday.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, being mindful of the harmful effect and burden Tuberculosis (TB) continues to pose to the global community, particularly in Africa and other developing countries, the nations of the world will celebrate this day to highlight the threat TB poses to the human race as well as to enlighten the world on the global initiatives and innovative actions undertaken to stop the spread of TB, thereby reducing death rates in Liberia, Africa and the entire world.

The Government of Liberia, being mindful of its duty to protect the health and welfare of its citizens and foreign residents, will join global health partners and the rest of the global community in the observance of World TB Day under the Theme: “Unite to End TB, Treat TB. Working together to Eliminate TB.”

TB ranks alongside HIV as the leading cause of death with 1.5 million deaths in 2014, including 0.4 million people who were HIV positive, and noting that globally, in 2014, the total of 480,000 people developed multi-Drugs Resistant TB, and currently, WHO ranks Liberia as a High Burden TB Country with a prevalence of 510 per 100,000 population, TB incidence of 308/100,000, and Mortality of 68/100,000.

In 2015, the total of 6,176 TB cases of all forms were identified and, of these cases, 2,724 were smear positive, 548 were TB/HIV co-infected and that data shows an increase in TB cases identified in 2015 as compared to 2014.

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 programs to make the occasion meaningful.

World Tuberculosis Day commemorates the day in 1882, when Dr. Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing his discovery of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus, which remains a major global health problem, and ranks as the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide.