MESSAGE FROM HER IMPERIAL HIGHNESS CROWN PRINCESS AKISHINO OF JAPAN, HONORARY MEMBER OF THE UNION

Message from Her Imperial Highness Crown Princess Akishino of Japan, Honorary Member of The Union:

World TB Day is the day when we must all renew our commitment to ending tuberculosis as agreed by the international community.

“The latest statistics on global and national TB programs show that countries have made every effort to recover from the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you who have worked very hard to maintain the quality of medical and public health services during a period of great difficulty.

The DOTS strategy was launched by WHO in 1994 and has been in force worldwide for more than 30 years. The DOTS and related strategies have been instrumental in saving many precious lives around the world from tuberculosis.

However, there are countries and areas where health services are still difficult to access, due to factors such as insufficient human and financial resources, and sometimes natural disasters and conflict. TB is a disease that mainly affects the most vulnerable, but anybody can be infected. The solidarity of our societies and our conviction are being tested.

We have only five years until the 2030 target date for the UN SDGs and the End TB Strategy. Let us reaffirm our commitment to ending the global TB epidemic, continue to invest for the future, and move forward to ensure that no one and no community is left behind.

Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver.”