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World Tuberculosis Day (TB Day) is observed on March 24 which is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO). Armenia’s ministry of healthcare reports, this year the slogan of the international health campaign is "Unite to End Tuberculosis" aimed at building public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease.

March 24 commemorates the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing to a small group of scientists at the University of Berlin's Institute of Hygiene that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus.

According to the WHO data, while there has been significant progress in the fight against TB, with 43 million lives saved since 2000, the battle is only half-won: over 4 000 people lose their lives each day to this leading infectious disease. Many of the communities that are most burdened by tuberculosis are those that are poor, vulnerable and marginalized.

In Armenia studies have revealed that men remain three times more likely to catch the disease than women. Over the past 10 years TB incidence has fallen twice, while the mortality rate has dropped three times in our country. 

The ministry reminds that TB diagnosis and treatment in the Republic of Armenia is free of charge for both Armenian citizens as well as foreigners residing in the country.