NEWS RELEASE
RESULTS CANADA
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On Thursday, March 24, 2022, Newmarket's Fred A. Lundy Bridge and Riverwalk Commons will be lighting up in red to mark World Tuberculosis Day, a day to raise awareness for tuberculosis (TB), stand in solidarity with those affected by this infectious disease, and hold government leaders accountable to the global commitment to end TB by 2030. The landmark will raise awareness for TB, while symbolizing that we are truly “in the red” in terms of progress towards ending it.
More than 35 Canadian landmarks are participating in the event to shine a light on TB – a disease that has been around for millennia yet continues to affect some 10 million people every year. Thanks to dedicated Results Canada TB volunteer advocates across Canada, other prominent landmarks include: the Calgary Tower, the Toronto CN Tower, the Olympic Stadium tower in Montreal, Science World in Vancouver, the British Columbia Provincial Legislature, and City Halls across Canada.
"There is an immediate need to invest in infectious diseases like tuberculosis as it has claimed countless lives globally due to health inequity, said Results Canada Newmarket volunteer advocate, Sarabjeet Kaur. "Invest in TB, Save Lives."
Before COVID-19, TB was the deadliest infectious disease and COVID-19 has only worsened the global burden of this ancient epidemic. Given the similarities between COVID-19 and TB as airborne infectious diseases, existing TB infrastructure has played a critical role in the rapid global response to COVID-19. However, this diversion of resources severely disrupts TB care even in Canada and threatens progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to end TB by 2030. These disruptions to TB care have resulted in the first year-on-year increase in global TB deaths since 2005, according to the World Health Organization. It is long past time to scale up global efforts to eliminate this ancient disease.
“My hope is that we catch the attention of leadership - locally, domestically, and globally and work towards making TB programming a priority,” said Tina Campbell, co-chair, Stop TB Canada. “TB continues to disproportionately affect Indigenous communities in our region. Recently we have declared three outbreaks of TB; and to identify, treat, and prevent TB we need long-term solutions.”
While Canada has demonstrated leadership to end TB, a critical gap in investments remains. TB has long been underfunded and under-resourced. COVID-19 disruptions have exacerbated this issue, highlighting the need for increased investments in the fight to end TB. As landmarks across the country are lit up in red this World TB Day, advocates are calling on the government to step for those affected by TB at home and abroad, at a time when they need support more than ever.
About Results Canada: Results is a global movement of passionate everyday people committed to raising our voices for a world without extreme poverty. We combine the voices of our volunteers with strategic areas of focus to improve policies and leverage resources for programs that give people living in poverty the health, education, and opportunity they need to thrive.
About Stop TB Canada: Stop TB Canada brings together individuals committed to ending TB at home and abroad, including TB researchers, TB advocates, TB practitioners, and TB survivors. Stop TB Canada draws on the knowledge and experience of its own members to promote policy action, create public awareness, and mobilize communities affected by TB.
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