Each year, on March 24, the world comes together to commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.

The theme for World TB Day 2022 is “Invest to End TB. Save Lives”.

Edwina Tangaroa, Ministry of Health’s manager health promotion unit, in a statement said the highly infectious disease continues to kill around 4100 people worldwide every day.

“The Cook Islands is fortunate that there are no reported cases since 2020, however, we should not be complacent and relax,” Tangaroa said.

“There is a lack of TB screening in country hence the low number of TB cases reported. Therefore, Te Marae Ora is urging people with chronic respiratory diseases including diabetes patients that attend doctor’s visit to request for TB test.”

Tangaroa says it is important to raise awareness on TB while the political, economic, and social situation in many parts of the world is becoming more difficult each day and while the world is still combatting Covid-19.

“There is need to continue business as usual work as the lives of millions of people affected by TB depend on our actions and support,” she said.

“This year is critical in the global fight to end TB as we countdown to reach the United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) on TB targets which the international community agreed to meet by the end of December 2022.”

Ongoing Covid-19 efforts and a catastrophic funding gap of US$9 billion (NZ$12.9b) threatens to hamper global progress to combat TB, the statement said, adding this is why this theme “Invest to End TB. Save Lives” was chosen for this year’s World TB Day campaign.

The Stop TB Partnership and all partners are calling on all those involved in the fight against TB to unite under this overarching theme and sound the alarm that the low levels of funding for the TB response year after year cannot continue nor be accepted anymore. Of the US$15 billion ($21.5b) annual funding for TB promised by world leaders at the UNHLM in 2018, less than half has been delivered, the statement said.

“World leaders must step up and triple or quadruple the funding to save lives and end TB by 2030. Without adequate financial resources, we cannot win the fight against TB and reverse the severe impact of Covid-19. The disruptions caused by the pandemic have led to increased mortality from TB, decreased the number of people diagnosed and treated for TB, and dangerously affected the rights of people with TB.”