Every year World Tuberculosis Day is marked on 24 March which commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch detected the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus – one of the world’s biggest infectious killers. In Bangladesh many organizations across the country observed World TB Day this year highlighting the theme ‘Reach, treat and cure all those who are ill today’. This theme is an extension to the 2014 theme ‘Reach the 3 million’.

In observance of the day, National Tuberculosis Control Program teamed up with Marketing Innovation for Health (MIH) Project of SMC and implemented programs across the country through Notun Din Implementing partners CWFD, Shimantik and PSTC which organized rallies and meetings in 15 upazillas.

There has been a remarkable progress in recent years in World TB scenario. But this is certainly not enough as in 2013, 9 million people fell ill with TB and 1.5 million died (WHO, 2015). This clearly calls for more attention from government, policy makers, civil society, health care providers and community activists. Observance of the Day will certainly go a long way in raising awareness and translate plans into actions.