El Paso, TX, March 20, 2012 – In order to generate a higher level of awareness of the global TB epidemic and in an effort to stamp out the disease, each March 24 marks the World Tuberculosis Day. The Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) United States-Mexico Border Office in collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso, the City of El Paso Department of Public Health and other organizations will held a World TB Day celebration on:
WORLD TB DAY 2012
Friday March 23, 2012
4:00 PM-6:30 PM
UTEP Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens Located within UTEP
El Paso, TX
This celebratory event features initiatives and actions against tuberculosis currently taking place in the United States-Mexico border such as TB promotion strategies, communication, social mobilization, and the current disease situation including the perspective of individuals affected by tuberculosis. The event also features a tour of the Nuestra Casa exhibition by the artist Damien Schumann and an introduction of a community guide to address the TB / HIV binomial (combined epidemics) at the community level among other data relevant to the current situation of TB in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez.
ABOUT NUESTRA CASA
Nuestra Casa is a powerful advocacy and social mobilization tool to raise awareness through photographs and personal testimonies of people affected by any member of tuberculosis or the learning community about the disease. The exhibition has generated continued support of institutional partners, students and staff of the University of Texas at El Paso, and local decision-makers worldwide.
“Innovative thinking in TB is essential for ensuring optimal engagement of the public, practitioners, and policy and decision makers. Nuestra Casa increases the visibility of individuals affected by tuberculosis, their stories, vulnerabilities, and their aspirations is necessary to advocate sustainable and concrete actions to challenge tuberculosis,” said Dr. Eva Moya, UTEP Professor.
ABOUT THE WORLD TB DAY
World TB Day serves to generate a higher level of awareness of this global epidemic and about the efforts that are being made to end the disease. Currently, one third of the world population is infected with tuberculosis. The Global Partnership to Stop TB, the network of organizations and countries fighting the disease organizes TB Day to raise awareness of the extent of the disease, ways to prevent it, and cure it.
This celebration takes place every year on March 24 which marks the day that Dr. Robert Koch detected the cause in 1882 of tuberculosis, the tubercle bacillus. This was the first step toward diagnosis and cure of the disease, which is why WHO is working to reduce the prevalence rates and deaths from the disease by the year 2015.
RELATED LINKS
PAHO/WHO U.S.—Mexico Border Office
Nuestra Casa
UTEP Centennial Museum Exhibits and Gardens
http://admin.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=60233
AGENDA AND PROCLAMATION
TB Agenda (
INTERVIEW WITH DAMIEN SCHUMANN
For more information please contact:
Lorely Ambriz, M.S.I.S, Knowledge Management & Communication
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) / A Regional Office of the World
Health Organization (WHO) United States-Mexico Border Office
5400 Suncrest Dr. Ste. C-4 El Paso, TX 79912
Office (915) 845-5950 Ext. 42523 / Cel (915) 449-3040 / Fax (915) 845-4361
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
/ www.borderinfo.org