This is Bill White withthe VOA Special English Development Report.
March twenty-fourth was World Tuberculosis Day. The yearly eventis held to improve knowledge, understanding and action againsttuberculosis. The main idea of this year’s campaign againsttuberculosis is “Stop T-B, Fight Poverty.” Organizers note the linkbetween T-B and the world’s poor people.
The World Health Organizationestimates that about one-third of the world’s population is infectedwith the bacteria that cause T-B. Infected people spread the diseaseby releasing particles from their mouths when they cough, sneeze,spit or talk. About two-million people die from tuberculosis eachyear.
This year’s campaign calls on the world community to expand theprogram developed by the W-H-O to fight T-B. The program is calledDirectly Observed Treatment, Short-course, or DOTS.
There are five parts in the DOTS discovery and treatment plan.The first step requires governments and health officials to continueT-B control programs. The next step uses microscope technology toidentify infected people.
The third step is a drug treatment program that may continue foras many as eight months. The fourth step of the DOTS program is aguaranteed supply of all needed anti-T-B drugs in countries wherethe program is in place. Finally, the World Health Organization sayscountries must establish a system for recording and reporting T-Bcases. World T-B Day started in Nineteen-Eighty-Two. At that time,an organization in the African country of Mali suggested that a daybe organized to educate people about tuberculosis. The group wantedgovernments and organizations around the world to recognize theevent, similar to World Health Day.
March twenty-fourth is also the day in eighteen-eighty-two whenscientist Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacteria thatcause T-B.
Governments and organizations around the world planned majorevents to observe World T-B Day. In Cambodia, for example, there wasa public march through the capital, Phnom Penh. In South Africa,tuberculosis researchers held a health conference. And inSwitzerland, children designed “Get Well” messages for young T-Bpatients in Afghanistan.
Officials hope World T-B Day will improve international effortsto fight the disease.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss. This is Bill White.