Tuberculosis
TB anywhere is TB everywhere
TB is one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, often devastating poor and marginalized communities. It is an airborne disease caused by bacteria that primarily affects the lungs and has plagued humanity for millenia.
Over the past two centuries, TB has killed more than one billion people.
Remarkably, we can end TB within a decade. To do this, we must support countries to diagnose and treat the disease effectively.
Many countries use 100-year-old techniques to diagnose the disease and the current treatments mostly include drugs that were discovered 50 years ago. Furthermore, several drugs that have been introduced recently are unaffordable and inaccessible for many people.
We must also improve treatment for drug-resistant forms of TB, which happens when the bacteria that causes TB no longer responds to the drugs that commonly treat it.
Most importantly, we must build the political will necessary to fund new diagnostics, drugs and a TB vaccine.
“We have known how to cure TB for more than 50 years. What we have lacked is the will and the resources to quickly diagnose people with TB and get them the treatment they need.”
Nelson Mandela
Our campaign ask
Increased funding for Tuberculosis
Increased funding for TB services through the bilateral aid budget in 2020/21 to high-burden countries in our region.
Increased funding for TB R&D
Increased funding for TB research and development (R&D) to meet Australia’s globally agreed ‘fair share’ target of 0.01% of our gross R&D.
What can I do?
Write a letter to your MP
Let your MP know why you care about ending TB globally.
Share on Social Media
Spread the word and tag @RESULTS_AU in you social media posts!
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Our Voice
Ingrid Schoeman
TB survivor from TB Proof, South Africa
Watch Ingrid share her vision of a world with out TB.
Dr Joyce Sauk
Watch Joyce, a medical doctor and a TB survivor from PNG, talk about the importance of Australian investment in Tuberculosis.
Demi Mason
Grassroots Advocate for Results Australia.
TB survivor.
The below graphic depicts the summary results from a modeling study, conducted by the Stop TB Partnership in collaboration with the Imperial College, Avenir Health, Johns Hopkins University and USAID.
- While stringent COVID-19 responses may only last months, they would have a lasting impact on TB in high-burden settings, through their effect mainly on TB diagnosis and treatment.
- 3-month lockdown and a protracted 10-month restoration is a worst case scenario used in the modelling.
- While the modelling analysis principally focuses on India, Kenya and Ukraine, findings from these countries were extrapolated to the global level.
- Long-term outcomes can be strongly influenced by the pace of short-term recovery.
Australian Tuberculosis Caucus
The Australian TB Caucus (ATBC) is a key component of Results work on TB.
The ATBC brings together federal Members of the House of Representatives (MPs) and Senators with a keen interest in TB to work together to ensure Australia makes its best contribution to global eradication of the disease.