Governments need to commit to TB fight

By Letter to the Editor on July 11, 2018.

Centuries of neglect have transformed tuberculosis, a curable disease, into the biggest infectious killer today, claiming more victims than HIV and malaria combined. Every year, 10 million human beings contract TB. Every year, 1.7 million die of it.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown great leadership by promising to end TB in Canada’s North, but he must do more.

TB does not respect national borders and eradicating it will require coordinated action internationally. Governments around the world need to commit to fight TB on many fronts — from more research and development and better medicines to improved health care and increased public awareness. The United Nations High Level Meeting on TB in September this year aims to engage heads of state to produce just such a commitment.

Mr. Trudeau should attend the UN meeting and demonstrate that Canada will be an active partner in the global war against TB. This is a war that cannot be fought in isolation.

Chitra Ramaswami

Calgary

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