Tuberculosis (TB) is a curable disease, and for the first time in history, we have the opportunity to defeat it. We now have effective diagnostic tools and medicines for most forms of TB, and several new and improved medicines are on the horizon.
Our work is producing incredible gains in the fight against TB. From 2000 to 2013, more than 37 million people were cured of TB. We’ve reduced TB deaths by almost half since 1990, and the world has achieved the Millennium Development Goal target of reversing the spread of the disease.
However, there is more work to be done. In May 2014, the U.S. Government and global community joined together around the vision of a world free of TB. We pledged to reduce TB deaths by 95 percent and new TB infections by 90 percent by 2035. This is an ambitious goal, but it is attainable. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will work with partners to reach every person with TB, cure those in need of treatment, and prevent new TB infections, as laid out in the U.S. Government’s 2015–2019 Global TB Strategy.
The world has a shared responsibility to address the global health challenge of TB. We stand on the verge of ending the TB epidemic by 2035. With continued investment and through innovation and partnerships, we can achieve a TB-free world.
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