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Rwanda has made “significant progress” in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) over recent years, a health official said on Friday during an event to mark World Tuberculosis Day, which falls on March 24 each year.

The event under the theme “Yes! We can end TB!” was held in western Rwanda’s Rubavu District, were health officials used the occasion to raise awareness among the population about effective prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of the disease.

Rwanda recorded a decrease in TB from 96 cases per 100,000 population in 2000 to 56 cases per 100,000 population in 2022, Albert Tuyishime, Head of the Disease Prevention and Control Department at the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), said, citing the Global TB Report 2023.

Tuyishime said the government remains committed to eradicating TB in Rwanda by 2035.

Brian Chirombo, the World Health Organization (WHO) country representative to Rwanda, said five people die of tuberculosis every minute.

“That’s how serious this disease is. Tuberculosis is preventable and curable, but it continues to be the leading cause of death in the world,” he said.

An infectious disease, TB mainly affects the lungs. It is one of the leading killer diseases responsible for the deaths of 1.3 million people in 2022, according to the Global TB Report 2023.

According to the WHO, TB is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and most often affects the lungs. TB spreads through the air when people with the disease cough, sneeze, or spit.