Today, we zoom in on Tuberculosis (TB), a life-threatening disease that mostly affects the lungs but can involve just about any part of the body, including the kidneys, spine or brain.

It is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis also known as the acid-fast bacillus (AFB).

Typical symptoms are weight loss, chronic ill health, and fever.

Considered one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers, each day, an estimated 4400 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this disease.

But to raise awareness about the disease, March 24 has been designated World Tuberculosis Day, with particular emphasis on ending the global epidemic.

And this year, the theme is ‘Yes! We can end TB!’

In the Gambia, with the implementation of the End TB strategy, there has been a gradual decline in the prevalence of tuberculosis, from 190 cases per 100,000 people in 2002 to 149 cases per 100,000 people in 2021.