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Transcript/ScriptWORLD TB DAY (TV)
HEADLINE: World TB Day Sees Global Push to Eradicate Disease by 2030
TEASER: Tuberculosis, a bacterial infection of the lungs, killed 1.6 million people in
2022
PUBLISHED: 3/23/2023 at 5:46p
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Holly Franko, Tom Turco
VIDEO SOURCE (S): Zoom, AFP, APTN, Reuters
PLATFORMS: WEB _X_ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:48
VID APPROVED BY: Reifenrath
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: There is a companion web piece. ))
((INTRO))
[[Tuberculosis, or TB, a bacterial infection of the lungs, is one of the world’s deadliest
diseases. After decades of progress, cases are on the rise once more. March 24 is
World TB Day — and as Henry Ridgwell reports, there are hopes that a vaccine may
be developed in the next few years to help eradicate the disease.]]
((NARRATOR))
Tuberculosis killed 1.6 million people last year. Progress against tackling the disease
was set back significantly by the coronavirus pandemic.
((Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Stop TB Partnership)) ((Zoom))
“Because of the lockdown, because of the fact that actually the response, the
response to COVID was constructed a lot on the work, on the equipment, on the
hospitals and dispensaries or on the staff that worked for TB. A lot of them were
completely shifted to deal with COVID.”
((NARRATOR))
Doctors say that has led to rising numbers of people with untreated and undiagnosed
TB.
India has the highest disease burden globally – with more than half a million TB
deaths in 2021 – about a third of the global total.
But there is hope that the disease can be overcome this decade. India diagnosed
and treated 2.4 million people with TB in 2022. Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nigeria,
South Africa, Ethiopia and Brazil also made progress.
World TB Day on March 24th marks the anniversary of German doctor Robert
Koch’s discovery in 1882 of the bacterium that causes the disease.
This year, the theme is “Yes we can end TB.” India has set a target to effectively
eradicate tuberculosis by 2025. The World Health Organization has set a global
target of 2030 – through diagnosis, treatment and the development of a vaccine.
((Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Stop TB Partnership)) ((Zoom))
“When you put together the fact that we have a bit more political commitment, or
more I would say; that we have a lot of new tools that we didn't have before; that we
have the prospect of a vaccine to come in the next two, three years. And we have an
amazing civil society and community platform and networks. It's actually giving us a
lot of hope that we can end TB.”
((NARRATOR))
But that will require more funding – an estimated $230 billion over the next eight
years.
((Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Stop TB Partnership)) ((Zoom))
“We are pretty convinced that the world will try to end TB and will try to be as bold as
it was during COVID. Because for COVID, for the COVID vaccine, $100 billion were
found more or less like that.”
((NARRATOR))
Tuberculosis is more prevalent and deadly in poorer countries. Scientists say a lack
of commercial opportunity has hindered research and development into new TB
medicines – but the development of a new vaccine would save millions of lives.
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
London
Embargo DateMarch 23, 2023 16:37 EDT
Byline
((Henry Ridgwell, for VOA News, London))
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
