March 24 marked World TB Day 2009, an important opportunity to raise awareness about the global fight against tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is a major public health threat in Afghanistan, with approximately 30,000 new cases per year. Almost 70% of Afghanistan’s reported cases are women, and without proper treatment, far too many Afghan citizens succumb to the disease.
To increase understanding about TB prevention and treatment, USAID, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and other members of the international Stop TB Partnership held events in schools across Afghanistan. 152,000 students took part in the day’s celebrations, participating in quiz shows, local marches, and sessions with community health workers. They also received baseball caps and flags featuring the Stop TB Partnership slogan, I am stopping TB. Throughout the country, 6.2 million children learned how to prevent the spread of TB through print materials and mass media messages.
USAID supports Afghanistan’s National Tuberculosis Program to stop the spread of TB and to treat diagnosed cases through the Directly Observed Therapy, Short Course (DOTS) methodology. USAID provides healthcare in 13 provinces throughout Afghanistan, including Badakhshan, Kandahar, and Paktika.