Advocacy: World Stop TB Day 2005: Introduction Letter

World Stop TB Day 2005
March 24, 2005

Thursday, March 24, 2005 is "World Stop TB Day". Each year activities are undertaken worldwide on this day to raise the profile of TB.

In light of this, we are making available this Tool Kit designed to both encourage your participation and to facilitate your efforts this "World Stop TB Day".

The focus of this year's activities (globally, by the WHO, nationally, by the CDC, and locally in California) is the acknowledgement of the efforts of frontline staff in our battle against this disease.

This focus is exceptionally useful in that it simultaneously lauds the efforts of our frontline workers (Community Health Outreach Workers, Disease Control Investigators, Public Health Nurses, etc.), and at the same time highlights the need to maintain and build on existing infrastructure in order to keep this disease at bay and, more optimistically, eventually eradicate it.

Although TB cases statewide appear to have fallen slightly this year, individual counties/ jurisdictions may have experienced increases and/or increases in drug resistance patterns. Regardless, it is vital to send the message to policy makers that this is NOT the time to reduce funding for TB control.

As history has taught us time and time again, as soon as we think we have TB on the run, let down our guard, and dismantle the infrastructure, we experience dramatic resurgence of this globally prevalent disease.

The tool kit offers some suggestions as to how to select frontline workers for recognition and how to involve the media, both to thank the worker(s) and to draw attention to the need to continue in our struggle against this disease that has infected fully one third (2 billion) of the world's population and annually kills upward of 2 million per year.

While World Stop TB Day is on March 24th, Public Health Week follows (April 4 - 10) rapidly on its heels and presents another opportunity to partner with our communities in heightening awareness of TB and of our efforts to control it.

Please use the tools and suggestions and adapt them to your local needs. Partner with a neighboring jurisdiction and reinforce each others messages that success against TB comes from the direct efforts of our frontline workers and the efforts of our political decision makers to keep the infrastructure in place that supports them in their endeavors.

If you need further information or clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the California TB Controllers Association at 510-540-2722.

Sincerely, Robert Benjamin, MD, MPH
Chair CTCA Advocacy Committee