Journée mondiale de la tuberculose 2026

World TB Day is observed every year on March 24 to raise awareness about tuberculosis (TB) and the ongoing efforts needed to eliminate it. The day marks Dr. Robert Koch’s historic 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB – a breakthrough that paved the way for modern diagnosis and treatment.

TB spreads through the air when a person with active disease in their lungs or airways coughs, sneezes or talks. Exposure can also lead to latent TB infection (LTBI), in which individuals have no symptoms and cannot spread the infection to others. Despite global progress, TB remains one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 10.7 million people fell ill with TB in 2024, and 1.23 million people died from the disease.

Here in Canada, TB continues to disproportionately affect people facing health and social inequities, including Indigenous communities and individuals born outside the country. Ontario has also experienced a steady rise in cases, from nearly 580 cases in 2014 to almost 1,000 in 2024.

TB is preventable, treatable and curable. Early diagnosis and timely, complete treatment are essential to reducing transmission and protecting communities. Newer, shorter preventive treatment options now make it easier for individuals with TB infection to prevent the development of active TB disease.

At Public Health Ontario (PHO), we are committed to working with public health units and health system partners to strengthen TB prevention, diagnostics and care through:

• tracking and sharing up‑to‑date surveillance data
• hosting learning events for frontline public health professionals and clinicians
• providing scientific and epidemiological advice to the Ministry of Health and other partners
• delivering essential laboratory services, including diagnostic testing, drug resistance testing and whole genome sequencing.

PHO operates the largest tuberculosis and mycobacteriology laboratory in North America, processing more than 70,000 specimens each year and providing almost 95% of diagnostic testing and all reference testing for Ontario. This work is supported by strong collaborations with health care providers, public health units, the broader laboratory sector, academic partners and multiple levels of government, relationships that help drive innovation and support progress toward TB elimination.

PHO also produces the Tuberculosis in Ontario quarterly surveillance report, which provides the most current epidemiological summary of active TB disease and latent TB infection in Ontario, including incidence by sex, age group and geography, based on data from the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS).

Stop TB Canada, a network committed to raising awareness and mobilizing communities, will mark World TB Day by illuminating monuments across Ontario in red on March 24 to honour those affected by TB and highlight the ongoing need for action.