World Tuberculosis Day is celebrated every year on March 24 to raise awareness of the dire social, economic and health consequences of tuberculosis (TB) and accelerate efforts to end the global epidemic of this curable disease.

It is commemorated on this date because in 1882 Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacteria that causes Tuberculosis, which helps diagnose and cure the disease. Tuberculosis continues to be a public health challenge in the Americas, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.

Primary health care is key to a comprehensive response to tuberculosis (TB). Through the work of health professionals, it allows early detection, timely diagnosis and treatment monitoring, with close services, centered on people and articulated with communities.

This year’s motto is Yes! We can end tuberculosis!

It is a call to action from health institutions around the world and therefore urges to expand access to new innovations, as diagnostic tests that can be used near the point of care and tongue swabs that can help detect the disease more quickly and reach more people.

The World Health Organization’s new guidelines on tuberculosis testing for use in primary care settings represent another step toward faster detection and treatment of one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.

These portable, easy-to-use tests bring TB diagnosis closer to the places where people typically seek medical care. Available at less than half the cost of many existing molecular diagnostics, they can help countries expand access to testing.

They are battery operated and deliver results in less than an hour, allowing patients to start treatment sooner.

These new tools could be truly transformative for tuberculosis, bringing rapid and accurate diagnosis closer to people, saving lives, curbing transmission and reducing costs, said Tedros Adhanom, Director-General of the WHO.

WHO invites all countries to expand access to these and other tools so that all people with tuberculosis can be seen and treated promptly.

In addition to tuberculosis, these devices have the potential to detect other diseases such as HIV, chickenpox and HPV, making diagnoses more patient-centered, equitable and consistent with comprehensive services for emerging and circulating diseases.

The guidelines also recommend tongue swab sampling, a simple strategy to pool sputum samples and save costs, increasing the efficiency of screening for tuberculosis and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis.

Global progress is at risk without faster diagnosis.

Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. Every day, more than 3,300 people die from tuberculosis and more than 29,000 contract this preventable and curable disease.

Global efforts to combat tuberculosis have saved around 83 million lives since 2000; However, cuts in global health funding threaten to reverse these gains.

Adoption of rapid diagnostic tools has been a challenge in many countries, due in part to high costs and reliance on sample transportation for testing in centralized laboratories.