Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a serious disease that usually attacks the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body, including the brain, lymph nodes and bones. Even though tuberculosis is completely curable with antibiotics, it continues to be a major health problem that kills almost two million people worldwide every year.
For most Canadians, the risk of developing tuberculosis is very low. However, there are approximately 1,600 new cases of tuberculosis reported in Canada every year, so it is important to know the symptoms and how to minimize your risk. Learn more about symptoms and who is at risk by consulting our It's Your Health article on tuberculosis.
Government of Canada's Role
The Government of Canada's goal is to reduce the number of new cases per year by five per cent. We also recognize the importance of a united global effort to stop tuberculosis (TB), and we know that one reason for its continued spread is because those living in poverty do not always have access to the proper treatments. We support the G8 Okinawa Declaration to reduce the number of people living in poverty and the number of diseases of poverty - including TB - by 50 per cent by 2010. By 2015, we hope that coordinated domestic and targeted efforts will reduce the number of on-reserve First Nations individuals living with TB to 3.6 per 100,000.
The Public Health Agency of Canada collects and analyzes data on all reported cases of TB in order to enhance Canada-wide TB prevention and control. In addition, the Public Health Agency conducts national surveillance of TB drug resistance, co-publishes the Canadian Tuberculosis Standards for prevention and treatment, provides technical assistance (upon request) to provinces and territories to help prevent and control outbreaks, works with others in targeted research projects, and sponsors the Canadian Tuberculosis Committee.
Learn all about tuberculosis prevention and control on the  Public Health Agency of Canada Web site.
Tuberculosis in First Nations Communities
Studies have shown that First Nations people are more at risk than other Canadians of getting tuberculosis infection. Some of the root causes are related to poor socio-economic standards. Learn more about tuberculosis in First Nations communities.
World Tuberculosis Day
March 24th is World Tuberculosis Day, held each year to mark the discovery of the cause of the disease. Tuberculosis is one of the world's deadliest diseases, killing almost two million people worldwide each year. This year's awareness campaign theme is "actions for life: towards a world free of tuberculosis".
Additional Resources
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