Amman, 23 March 2017, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, International Organization for Migration and The National Anti Tuberculosis Association, WHO in Jordan marked World Tuberculosis Day under the theme “Unite to end TB”
WHO Representative for Jordan Dr Maria Cristina Profili said that this day was a reminder that the preventable and curable disease of tuberculosis was still a threat to human life and prosperity, as WHO still ranked it, along with HIV, a leading cause of death due to communicable diseases. “World TB Day is an opportunity to affirm our commitment to end tuberculosis following the path set by the End TB strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals, namely Goal 3.3 related to communicable disease, including tuberculosis,” noted Dr Profili.
In 2015, in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the estimated number of TB cases was 749 000. TB mortality has decreased significantly from 38 per 100 000 population in 2000 to 12 per 100 000 in 2015, with a total number of about 80 000 deaths. Diagnosis and treatment of resistant cases represent only 18% of the estimated cases.
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