The Advocate – North-West turning red for tuberculosis

Infrastructure in Ulverstone and Wynyard will turn red on Thursday night to mark World Tuberculosis Day. Central Coast mayor Jan Bonde said the illumination initiative was intended to make governments and members of parliament aware of the devastating health, social, and economic impacts of tuberculosis and of the need to urge global leaders to end the disease by 2030. “In the early 1900s, Tasmania had the highest rate of TB infection in the nation, claiming the lives of 1 in 12 Tasmanians,” Cr Bonde said. “Australia has not eradicated TB but through the use of effective treatments and improved house design standards, it is now adequately managed. “Globally, TB is still a major killer disease claiming 1.5 million lives of mostly poor and marginalised people, in 2020. By illuminating Ulverstone’s Leven Bridge and the Waratah-Wynyard Council offices at Wynyard, Cr Bonde said it was a way to advocate for poorer and tuberculosis-affected countries in seeking increased funding for research and development and to support projects in the Indo-Pacific region. See the full piece here