Lilongwe 24 March 2012 -- Malawi joined the rest of the world in commemorating World TB Day whose theme is ‘stop TB in my life time.’ The theme draws attention to the need for urgent accelerated actions to ensure that today’s children live to see a world where no one dies of TB. The national launch took place on 24 March at Chiwamba EPA ground, TA Chimutu in Lilongwe rural. Just before the function started, the Health Education Band mobilized the local community by playing TB control and prevention songs, traditional dances and comedy live on a decorated truck.

The World Health Organization joined the Ministry of Health (MOH) in the commemoration launch and the guest of honor at the ceremony was the First Lady, Madame Callista Mutharika who is the Goodwill Ambassador for Safe Motherhood, TB, Malaria and HIV/AIDS. The WHO Resident

Representative alongside the Minister of Health, Honorable Dr Jean Kalirani, MP and the Secretary for Health, the USAID Head of Mission, the District Commissioners and their District Health Officers were the distinguished guests at the ceremony.

Project Hope, TB Care II and Paradiso mounted some pavilions at the venue of the launch explaining to people what they are doing in TB control and care especially in support of diagnostic services. Equipment on display included LED microscope and the GeneExpert, a rapid molecular test capable of detecting susceptible TB and Rifampicin Resistant TB in hundred minutes. Paradiso, a local NGO that works with communities in providing TB care and support to TB patients through financial support from a Norwegian institution also used the occasion to launch a toll free hotline on TB information. The guest of honor, Madame Callista Mutharika was taken through the pavilion on arrival at the venue and cut a ribbon to officially launch the toll free hotline number.

Speaking to the gathering the WHO Resident Representative Dr Felicitas Zawaira said that the 2012 theme was about encouraging people worldwide to make an individual call for the elimination of TB, and say what changes they would like to see in their lifetime. “Today’s children should expect to see a world where no one gets sick with TB. In their lifetimes, men and women should expect to see a world where no one dies from TB. All of us can have different hopes, such as faster TB treatment; a quick, cheap, lowtechnology test that is accessible to all; or an effective vaccine,” Dr Zawaira said.

World TB Day, falling on March 24th each year, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world, causing the deaths of several million people each year, mostly in developing countries. The commemoration is in remembrance of the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch astounded the scientific community by announcing that he had discovered the cause of tuberculosis, the TB bacillus. At the time of Koch's announcement in Berlin, TB was raging through Europe and the Americas, causing the death of one out of every seven people. Koch's discovery opened the way towards diagnosing and curing TB.

Dr Felicitas Zawaira further commended Malawi for the achievements it has so far made in TB control: “ladies and gentlemen it will be unfair for me not to commend Malawi for the progress so far made regarding key TB indicators; While the Global treatment success rate stands at 87%; Malawi is slightly higher at 88%; While only 59% of TB patients knew their HIV status in the African region in 2010, in Malawi, 80% of TB patients knew their HIV status. With 46% of TB/HIV co-infected patients enrolled on ART at global level in 2010, the ART uptake in Malawi among TB/HIV patients was at 57%; Malawi has also managed to reduce TB mortality among new smear positive cases from 19% in 1995 to 8% in 2010 and finally; Malawi is one of the 26 countries that has already embraced the GeneXpert technology with 8 machines already operational in the country through partner support,” the WR informed the audience.

Making her statement before the guest of honour, the Minister of Health Dr Jean Kalirani emphasized the commitment of the Ministry of Health in providing the necessary services at the different levels in order to detect TB cases early and commence them on treatment. She also cited progress Malawi has made in the fight against TB and thanked development as well as technical partners for supporting the Ministry.

Speaking to the audience, the Guest of Honor, First Lady of Malawi, Madam Callista Mutharika underscored the purpose of the event as an opportunity to reflect on global, regional and local burden of Tuberculosis (TB) as well as to create awareness among the general public and policy makers on the dangers of the disease to the country’s citizens.

The first lady cited some of the aspirations different people may have in their lifetimes in line with this year’s theme of “Stop TB in my Lifetime”. As a Goodwill Ambassador for TB and other conditions, she expressed her commitment to mobilizing more resources for better TB services.

She also pointed out that a TB free Malawi would never be achieved without the involvement of people affected with TB. On this note, she recommended the Ministry of Health for recognizing this fact as evidenced by partnering with Paradiso, a patient organization that launched a TB hotline with financial support from the Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization.

She also thanked development and technical partners that have teamed up with MOH namely TB CARE II, WHO, USAID, CDC in contributing to the STOP TB campaign in Malawi. “It is inexcusable that anyone should die of TB today, an illness that can be detected and cured for less $100,” the First Lady said.

The WHO led TB Programme Review conducted in 2011 has resulted in the development of a new TB Strategic Plan 2012-2016. If the gains made are to be sustained, and in order to win the fight, financing for TB control activities will have to improve from the 30-50% as revealed by the 2011 programme review.

WHO Malawi calls for a world free of TB during the 2012 World STOP TB Day commemoration

 01 Dr Felicitas Zawaira, WR Delivering The WHO Message To The Audience During The 2012 World Stop TB Day 02 TB Care Displaying The LED Microscope To The Audience On The Day 03 The Minister Of Health, Honorable Dr Jean Kalirani, MP Addressing The Audience On World TB Day 2012 04 Some Of The Participants Held Out Placards Advocating For Early TB Diagnosis, Treatment And Care As Well As The Slogan “stopping TB In My Lifetime.” 05 The Guest Of Honor First Lady Madam Callista Mutharika Speaking To The Audience During The Commemoration Ceremony
For more information contact

Mr. H.W. Kubwalo, World Health Organisation,
ADL House, PO Box 30390, Capital City, Lilongwe 3.
Tel: 01 772 755
Email: kubwaloh [at] mw.afro.who.intor