On 24 March, WHO Rwanda organized World Tuberculosis Day under the theme “Early detection and diagnosis for correct care of tuberculosis for all”. On this day, many activities were conducted at the central level and each district for the success of World TB day through advocacy, communication and social mobilization activities.

The aim of this celebration was to increase awareness of local authorities, health providers, community health workers and the whole population about TB early detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention in order to ensure that all people suffering from TB have access to adequate care.

At the central level, a press conference and live talks were organized on different public and private radio and television stations to increase public health awareness about TB. At district level, sessions of community sensitization through different community radio channels were organized.

The national ceremony took place at Nyabihu District, Western Province. The Guest of Honour at the ceremony was Deputy Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Center in charge of Biomedical Services Department, representing the Minister of Health. Other high level guests present were Governor of Western Province, Mayor of Nyabihu District and the TB Programme Officer at the WHO Country Office.

Besides official speeches, other activities organized that day were sensitization of young people from different sectors against tuberculosis, a football tournament between different sectors, drama, and songs. The event has also been marked by prizes given to community health workers who contributed the most to bringing suspected and confirmed cases of TB  to health facilities for diagnosis and care.

In his speech, the Representative of the Minister of Health expressed that no one should be left behind in the fight against TB. He highlighted, “on the occasion of this World TB Day, we call for a global effort to find, treat and cure the affected persons and accelerate progress towards zero TB deaths, infections, suffering and stigma. To reach the affected persons and move towards eliminating TB as a public health problem, we will need to aggressively scale up TB programmes, especially for the most vulnerable groups and in hotspots”.

In her remarks, Dr Julie Mugabekazi, on behalf of WHO, recalled that in spite of the progress, TB continues to be a major public health concern. The African Region has the highest TB and TB/HIV co-infection rates in the world and the emerging challenge of drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) is yet to be adequately addressed.

WHO estimates that TB was responsible for over half a million deaths in the Region. The spread of TB and TB/HIV is fuelled by among others; poor access to health services, lack of trained health care providers, and weak health care delivery systems. She called upon partners to continue to support the Government  in order to intensify efforts to reach, treat, and cure everyone with TB and to pay special attention to underserved areas and vulnerable people.

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For more information, please contact:

Gasherebuka Jean Bosco
Email: gasherebukab [at] who.int
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01. Speech of Deputy Director General, RBCMinistry of Health, Father Jean Baptiste Mazarati

02. Remarks by TB Programme OfficerWHO, Dr Julie Mugabekazi

03. Prices to the best Community Health Workers in TB community management

04. Prices to the best Community Health Workers in TB community management