ADDIS ABABA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for concerted action to end Tuberculosis (TB), as the disease causes "significant burden" on the continent's public health and socioeconomic well-being.
The African Union's specialized healthcare agency made the appeal as the continent marks the World TB Day, which is observed annually on March 24. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Africa CDC said every year, millions of lives are affected by TB, with the continent bearing a significant burden.
It emphasized that strengthening early detection, improving access to care, and addressing stigma are key to eliminating TB across Africa. "No one should die from a disease that can be treated. On the World TB Day, Africa CDC reinforces its commitment to a TB-free future. The fight against this preventable and curable disease starts with awareness and action."
Highlighting that the disease costs Africa an estimated up to 25 billion U.S. dollars annually due to lost productivity, strain on health systems and household hardships, Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya called for bold domestic investment, stronger primary health care, stronger surveillance, and urgent action to close the detection gap.
"Ending TB is central to Africa's health security, economic resilience, and sovereignty. No African should die from a disease we know how to prevent, diagnose, treat, and cure," the Africa CDC chief said.
This year's World TB Day is being marked under the theme "Yes! We can end TB!" It calls for decisive country leadership, increased domestic and international investment, accelerated action, and strong multi-sectoral collaboration.
The 2013 Abuja Declaration sets the target of ending TB in Africa by 2030, along with AIDS and Malaria. Recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that Africa has recorded the steepest decline in TB deaths since 2015, despite missing key milestones.
Attributing the reductions mainly to increased efforts in case detection and treatment provision, the WHO noted that the disease imposes "a severe economic burden with catastrophic cost of seeking treatment" for nearly 68 percent of TB-affected households in Africa.
Tuberculosis, caused by bacteria that most often affect the lungs, is an airborne disease that spreads between humans through inhaling the air infected with TB germs through cough, sneeze or spit from an infected person. Common symptoms of active lung TB include cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. The disease has effective treatment and can be cured, according to the Africa CDC.
