Each year, we commemorate World TB Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB, and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

Global efforts to combat TB have saved an estimated 66 million lives since the year 2000. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed years of progress made in the fight to end TB. For the first time in over a decade, TB deaths increased in 2020.

The technical director of the African Coalition on TB – Austine Obiefuna said “The theme of World TB Day 2022 – Invest to End TB. Save Lives. – conveys the urgent need to invest resources to ramp up the fight against TB and achieve the commitments to end TB made by global leaders.”

He said Africa is so much behind when it comes to funding for tuberculosis.

According to him Africa woolly depends on the Global fund for TB interventions.

He calls on Africans and governments to mobilize additional domestic financial support for TB control, including calling for the TB33% campaign.

He said the 18% from the Global Fund begs the question on the equitable distribution of the resources from Global fund

In a bid to counter the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on the fight against TB. He urge all stakeholders to advocate increased investment and to ensure that the TB33% campaign are integrated into their advocacy interventions.

Mr. Austin appealed to the Global Fund to pay increased attention to urgently boost TB investment from the 18% to 33% to step up the fight against TB

He concluded by saying “too many lives are lost to a disease which is entirely curable. It is important that the world understands and increase investment for TB if we are to End TB in our live time