The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2023 - Opening press release
Paris; November 15th 2023: The President of The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease has today called for decisive action to eradicate tuberculosis (TB), warning that world leaders are “running out of excuses” to act against a disease that killed over 1.3 million people in 2022.
Opening The Union World Lung Health Conference 2023, Professor Guy Marks declared that “the urgency to act has never been greater” with the latest figures showing that TB is rising in high-burden settings, reversing decades of progress.
The Union World Conference on Lung Health is taking place in Paris from Wednesday 15th November, and will close on Saturday 18th November.
In his opening remarks, Professor Marks argued that countries will “inevitably continue to miss” targets without the much needed “effective strategies, meaningful actions and significant investment”.
Professor Marks claimed that if the world had “any chance” of achieving the fast-approaching 2030 End TB targets, there must be “more accurate tests, more effective and safer medicines and vaccines” as well as maximization of existing tools.
Professor Marks added: “It’s great to see that the combination of our existing tools and all our hard work has resulted in 7.5 million people being diagnosed with TB in 2022. This is the highest figure since global TB records began in 1995”.
The Union World Conference follows the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB, which was held in New York in September.
At The Union World Conference, leading voices within the lung health community will present cutting-edge research at the Conference into the transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of TB and lung disease.
The Union World Conference on Lung Health is convened by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, the world’s first global health organisation committed to eradicating tuberculosis and lung disease.
Established in Paris in 1920, The Union is comprised of individuals and groups from around the world who share a vision of a healthier world for all, free of tuberculosis and lung disease.
The Union President Professor Guy Marks stated that this year’s conference theme of transforming evidence into practice should act as “a reminder” of the “need for real action…against tuberculosis and lung disease”.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
This is a press release issued by Lexington on behalf of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. For more information, please contact theunion@lexcomm.co.uk. You can find more press releases from the Union here.
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The Union
Established in 1920 as the world’s first global health organisation, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease is committed to eradicating tuberculosis and lung disease, leading to a healthier world for all. Its members, staff, and consultants work in more than 140 countries globally.
The Union aims to improve the world’s lung health by prioritising prevention and care, through bringing together clinicians, front-line workers, people with TB and survivors, policy makers, scientists, advocates and civil society to disseminate and implement knowledge in practice. The Union’s work is exemplified by its core values of quality, transparency, accountability, respect, and independence.