Cambridge City Hall lit up in red for World Tuberculosis Day - Waterloo Region Record

Cambridge City Hall is lit up in red on Thursday, March 24 to mark World Tuberculosis Day.

Tuberculosis affects approximately 10 million people a year, according to the World Health Organization. More than 35 Canadian landmarks are lit up in red to spread awareness.

Prior to COVID-19, tuberculosis was the deadliest infectious disease, and the pandemic has only worsened the burden of this ancient epidemic.

The pandemic has also resulted in a diversion of resources which has interrupted tuberculosis care in Canada, and threatened progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development goal of ending tuberculosis deaths by 2030.

Advocates are calling for government leaders to step up for those affected by tuberculosis in Canada and abroad.

Tina Campbell, co-chair of Stop TB Canada, says that long-term solutions are needed for tuberculosis care.

“My hope is that we catch the attention of leadership — locally, domestically and globally — and work toward making TB programming a priority,” says Campbell in a news release.

“TB continues to disproportionately affect Indigenous communities in our region. Recently we have declared three outbreaks of TB, and to identify and treat TB, we need long-term solutions.”

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Cambridge City Hall lit up in red for World Tuberculosis Day - Waterloo Region Record
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