U.S. Should ‘Continue Doing Its Part’ To Fight TB Worldwide, Editorial Says
"That a curable disease can still claim more than a million lives a year is hard to fathom, yet that is the case with tuberculosis," a Times of Trenton editorial says. It adds, "While most victims live among the poorest of the poor in developing countries, there are about 13,000 cases reported each year" in the U.S. "Just as TB is closer than you might have imagined, so are the tools to prevent it," according to the Times. It adds, "Of course, there is a cost. The Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has been maintained by contributions from the world's wealthiest nations." The editorial says that the Global Fund's programs by the end of 2008 had provided 4.6 million people worldwide with TB treatment.
Last week, Congress "approved an appropriation of $900 million for the Global Fund," the editorial says, adding, "As World TB Day approaches on March 24, it is a reason to celebrate the work well done by the Global Fund and its supporters." It also is "appropriate to reflect on one of the brightest achievements" of former President George W. Bush, who "championed that work and vowed ongoing U.S. support." There are "thousands of diseases and millions of causes that deserve attention and support," the editorial says, concluding, "But this is one of those that truly has worldwide ramifications. Despite the onerous financial crisis, it's imperative that the United States continue doing its part" (Times of Trenton, 3/16).
