MANILA - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday called on countries to take "urgent and decisive action" to end Tuberculosis (TB) by 2030.

"This is especially urgent in the WHO Western Pacific region, where nearly one in every five TB cases occur," the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific said in its press release on World TB Day, falling on March 24 every year.

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With an estimated 1.9 million new cases and 95,000 deaths due to TB in 2023, the Manila-based office said the impact of this disease on families and communities is profound.

"Every missed TB case is a lost opportunity to save a life," said Saia Ma'u Piukala, WHO regional director for the western Pacific. "We must turn our commitments into decisive action, ensuring that every person at risk gets the timely, high-quality diagnosis and care that they deserve."

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According to the WHO, TB is an infectious disease caused by bacteria that most often affect the lungs. It spreads through the air when people with TB cough, sneeze, or spit. TB is preventable and curable with specific antibiotics, but it still kills more people than any other infection.