KATHMANDU, March 24: World Tuberculosis Day is being celebrated in Nepal with various programs on Friday. The National Tuberculosis Control Center organized a special function at its office in Bhaktapur at 10:45 am to mark the day.

On March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch discovered the tuberculosis bacterium. One hundred years later, in 1982, March 24 was celebrated as World Tuberculosis Day.

“The World Health Organization's main slogan for this year's day is 'Ho! We will end tuberculosis!’ We are also celebrating the World Tuberculosis Day week-long in Nepal with this slogan,” said Director of the National Tuberculosis Control Center, Dr Naveen Prakash Shah.

According to the World Health Organization's annual report 2022, around 1.6 million people, including 6.6 million men, 3.4 million women and 1.2 million children, were suffering from tuberculosis in 2021. Although tuberculosis can be cured with regular treatment, it is estimated that around 1.6 million people died of tuberculosis worldwide in 2021.

According to the National Tuberculosis Control Center, about 117,000 tuberculosis patients including new and old are diagnosed in Nepal every year. It is estimated that 69,000 new patients of tuberculosis will be added every year and about 17,000 people will die due to tuberculosis.

In the last fiscal year 2021/22, 37,861 tuberculosis patients were registered for treatment in Nepal, of which 61.6 percent were men, 38.4 percent were women and about 8.7 percent were children. There is data that 91.5 percent of patients were successfully treated and cured.

 
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