TRENTON, NJ – Today, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) commemorates World TB Day, observed on March 24 of each year, to raise public awareness and understanding about tuberculosis and its impact on people globally.

This year’s theme – “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver” – is a call for hope, urgency, and accountability. Focused efforts on disease education, control, and prevention are critical to fighting tuberculosis, which affects more than a quarter of the world’s population.

“Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, but it’s also one the most preventable and treatable,” said Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston, MD, MSc, DFASAM. “That means we can eliminate tuberculosis within our lifetimes – and today, we recommit to that public health goal.”

Tuberculosis, which is curable, is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It spreads through the air when a person with active TB disease coughs, sneezes, or talks. TB typically affects the lungs but can also affect the brain, kidneys, or the spine. Symptoms include prolonged cough (sometimes with blood), chest pain, weakness, fatigue, weight loss, fever, and night sweats.

While TB is a respiratory disease, it does not spread as easily as COVID-19, RSV, and the flu from person to person. It generally takes close and prolonged contact with someone who has active TB disease for transmission to occur.

People with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of developing TB, including babies and children, as well as people who have medical conditions such as HIV or diabetes and those who have close contact with someone who has infectious TB disease.

The risk of TB exposure remains extraordinarily low in the US and in New Jersey. However, the disease continues to devastate millions globally, inflicting severe health, social, and economic consequences. An estimated 10.8 million people worldwide became infected with TB in 2023, with about 1.25 million TB-related deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

In New Jersey, only 343 new cases of TB were reported in 2023, representing a 65.1 percent decrease in new cases since 1992, when the State saw 984 cases at the peak of a resurgence of TB nationwide that began in 1986. Preliminary data for 2024 indicate the number of reports remained stable, with 342 cases. 

NJDOH conducts statewide TB surveillance activity and provides financial assistance, direct assistance (such as supplies and laboratory services), and technical assistance (such as education and training) to support TB prevention and control activities performed by local health departments throughout the State. 

In 2024, NJDOH granted $3.9 million in State and federal funding to local health department TB programs. This included $2.9 million awarded to the six regional TB specialty clinics located in Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, and Morris counties, which provide services to all New Jersey residents. The regional TB clinic system performs clinical evaluation, treatment, prevention, and epidemiology in concert with the county and municipal health departments.

In addition, the Global Tuberculosis Institute at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), offers state-of-the-art treatment, conducts research, and provides consultation, education, and training to physicians and health officials. 

March 24 marks the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch shared his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB.

Resources:

• NJDOH Tuberculosis Control Program: gov/health/hivstdtb/tb
• Frequently Asked Questions on TB: gov/health/hivstdtb/tb/faq.shtml
• World Health Organization’s World TB Day 2025 Information: int/campaigns/world-tb-day/2025
• CDC Information on Tuberculosis: gov/tb
• CDC World TB Day Information: gov/world-tb-day

The New Jersey Department of Health is a nationally accredited health department working to ensure that all New Jerseyans live long, healthy lives and reach their fullest potential. With more than 5,500 employees, the Department serves to protect the public’s health, promote healthy communities, and continue to improve the quality of health care in New Jersey. 

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