Video ad on MDR-TB and TB Surveillance Report issued by ECDC for the general public
April 3rd, 2009
In 1882, on March 24th, the eminent savant Robert Koch announced to the entire medical world and general public the discovery of the pathogen agent that causes Tuberculosis and namely Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, later on named in his honor the Koch bacillus.
After more than 100 years since this discovery, actually an epochal one, tuberculosis continues to make calamities worldwide, especially in poor or in progress countries. The number of annual registered deaths is still impressive despite the efforts made by the medical world and the scientific community in order to find new and more efficient medicines.
Meanwhile, the Koch bacillus "learnt" to accustom and continually increase its resistance, which in reality means turning up some forms of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) or resistant to some antituberculosis medicines (XDR-TB).
As a symbol, March 24th was adopted by the entire world as the World Tuberculosis Day (ZMTB). This year the campaign dedicated to ZMTB carried out under the motto "Together We Fight Tuberculosis!", the message sent is solidarity and support for TB people and also community involvement in controlling TB both nationwide and worldwide.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) launched, through its website, an instructional film (video ad) about MDR-TB with manifestations, causes and implications, together with the TB Surveillance report elaborated by ECDC in collaboration with World Health Organization.
The film also contains some scenes and testimonies shot within The Pneumophtyziology Institute "Marius Nasta" in Bucharest.
Both materials can be accessed at http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/Health_Topics/tuberculosis/special_report/special_report.aspx
For certain, both materials will be of a great interest for both the specialists and general public, hungered for new information on Tuberculosis.
