WORLD TB DAY 2025 24th MARCH 2025
KEY MESSAGES
Deputy President Paul Mashatile calls on South Africans to test for TB to save 5 million lives
Deputy Minister Honourable Ganief Hendricks is in Makalakhe for international world TB day to join the fight vs TB.
South Africa will join the rest of the world in commemorating World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on 24 March 2025 under the theme “Yes! You and I Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver”.
The day amplifies the urgency of ending TB which is regarded as the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
The day amplifies the urgency of ending TB which is regarded as the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
World TB Day marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB. The discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.
World TB Day is used to educate the public about the impact of TB and raise awareness on efforts to prevent the spread of the disease and available treatment. The prevalence of TB is still a major problem in South Africa.
While South Africa has a high burden of TB, the country has made progress in reducing its TB incidence rate. South Africa has reduced its TB incidence rate by 57% in 2023. Despite the progress, the decline in mortality remains slow with more people dying from TB every year.
