What:

On March 17, the World Health Organization will release its annual report with the latest data on the global tuberculosis epidemic, in advance of World TB Day (March 24). Recently, the WHO publicized alarming new findings on the spread of dangerous drug-resistant TB, including extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains. The 2008 Global TB Control Report maps the scale of TB worldwide, and includes data on trends and number of TB deaths, including the impact of drug-resistant TB and TB-HIV co-infection on global progress.

Who:

Dr. Mario Raviglione, Director, Stop TB Department, WHO

President Jorge Sampaio, UN Special Envoy to Stop Tuberculosis and former President of Portugal

Moderated by Joanne Carter, Associate Executive Director, RESULTS Educational Fund

When:

Monday, March 17, 12:00 noon ET by teleconference.

How:

To sign up or for further information, please contact Robyn Shepherd at (202) 783-7100 x120 (cell: (267) 230-7651) or by e-mail at [email protected]. On the day of the call, participants should dial (888) 452-4006 (U.S. and Canada) or 1 (719) 457-2632 (international) and ask for the “World TB Day Media Conference.”

How:

Tuberculosis kills over one and a half million people a year and is second only to HIV/AIDS as the world’s leading infectious killer. TB is the number one killer of people with HIV/AIDS in developing countries, and the alarming spread of drug-resistant TB threatens to roll back progress made against both the TB and the HIV/AIDS pandemics. Worrisome trends are emerging as experts and activists around the world take stock of progress made against this deadly, but curable, disease, and urge more aggressive action to reverse the spread of this killer.