March 24, 2011
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest diseases in human history. During the first half of the 20th century, this bacterial infection, formerly known as "consumption" or "white plague", was the number one killer in Canada.
Thanks to medical advancements in the 1940s, Canada has effectively managed TB. However, despite progress in the developed world, this disease still poses a significant health risk to the poor and malnourished people in developing countries, claiming 4,600 lives each day.
In the last decade, the fight against TB made incredible strides. In 2000, globally only 28 percent of people suffering from TB had access to proper treatment; by 2009, 64 per cent had access to proper treatment.
Canada's contributions to the fight against TB have resulted in the successful treatment of more than four million people and have saved more than half a million lives. Canada is a significant donor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
World TB Day cannot be a celebration until we deliver treatment to all those infected with TB and achieve the goal of elimination.
Hon. Beverley J. Oda
Minister of International Cooperation
