The world should aim to put an end to the epidemic of TB within 20 years, senior health officials said yesterday.
Global "solidarity and action" is needed to achieve the aim, the World Health Organisation said.
Today is World Tuberculosis Day and WHO says the world can celebrate "tremendous progress" and the saving of 37 million lives.
Progress has been hampered by the spread of multi-drug resistant disease, which afflicts half a million people a year.
In total some 1.5 million people a year die from the disease – and nine million fall ill from it.
WHO has called for research into the disease to be intensified.
It wants a 95% reduction in deaths by 2035 and a 90% cut in cases. It has set out details of its plans in the European Respiratory Journal.
Dr Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO Global TB Programme, said: "This World TB Day should serve to alert and mobilise as many people as possible to end the epidemic.
“We must work with innovators in health, development, civil society and the private sector to end the burden of this preventable disease.”
European Respiratory Journal 20 March 2015 [abstract]
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