World Tuberculosis Day: 24 March

Current Context: World Tuberculosis (TB) Day was observed on 24 March 2026, commemorating Dr. Robert Koch’s 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

• Theme 2026: “Yes! We Can End TB: Led by Countries, Powered by People” – highlighting local action and people’s participation.
• India launched the 100‑Day TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan to detect “invisible” cases, focusing on urban slums, tribal areas, and migrant populations.
• New tools: TB Mukt Bharat App for patient tracking and TB Mukt Urban Ward Initiative for decentralized, community‑driven TB management.
• Progress: India reported 21% decline in TB incidence and 25% fall in mortality over the last decade; diagnostic labs expanded to 9,800 NAAT labs and 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
• The Ni‑kshay Mitra Movement saw 7.16 lakh donors adopting TB patients, providing nutritional, vocational, and emotional support.

India reaffirmed its ambitious target to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the UN SDG goal of 2030.

Question:

Q.1 The discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was made in which year?
a) 1875
b) 1880
c) 1890
d) 1882

Answer: d) Discovered in 1882, a key milestone in medical science.