Born on March 24
World Tuberculosis Day
An old disease we can end.
Next: March 24, 2027
Where it comes from
On 24 March 1882 the German physician Robert Koch told the Berlin Physiological Society that he had found the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Using a new staining method on samples from patients, he had seen the germ for the first time, which proved that TB was an infectious disease and opened the way to…
How it's celebrated
The World Health Organization and national health services use the day to raise awareness of TB and to step up efforts to end it. Health workers, former patients and campaigners share their stories and call for the funding and care that TB still needs.
Did you know
Koch published his findings three weeks after the lecture, on 10 April 1882.
Read the full story of World Tuberculosis Day
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Aries · March 21 – April 19 · Fire sign
First through the door: bold, quick to start and happiest with a challenge.