World TB Day is an opportunity to focus on the people affected by this disease and to call for accelerated action to end TB suffering and deaths. March 24 marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

• TB alone claims 4 100 people lives each day and close to 27 000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.
• The emergence of drug-resistant TB poses a major health threat that could put at risk the gains made to end the global TB epidemic. 
• Theme of the World TB Day 2023 is  'Yes! We can end TB'
• This year the spotlight of World TB Day will be on urging countries to ramp up progress in the lead-up to the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. PAHO/WHO will also issue a call to action with partners urging Member States to accelerate the rollout of the new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB.