24 March 2003

World TB Day 2003 is 80 days away! The theme for 2003 is People with TB, and the slogan is "DOTS cured me – it will cure you too!" The theme and slogan emphasize the need to increase case detection through DOTS programmes and to reduce the social stigma associated with TB.

Between now and 24 March 2003, you will receive a web alert every ten days by email telling you how many days are left before World TB Day 2003 and providing you with all kinds of information and resources – from guidelines on what should go into a press kit to how to create and use presentations to build awareness – all designed to help you plan your campaign.

You can also find the content of each week’s alert on the Stop TB website at: www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2003/default.asp

In this World TB Day Alert, you will find suggestions for planning activities you may never have tried before, and you will also find links to a logo and images for World TB Day 2003 that you can use in posters, brochures, websites, or other media.

New ideas for the New Year - It is the beginning of a new year, so why not resolve to try something new as you organize your TB education and advocacy campaign for World TB Day 2003 and the rest of the year?

• Find someone new for your World TB Day planning committee. Wider representation brings a greater reach, new insights and fresh ideas. Reach out to the private sector and community groups such as women’s organizations or youth groups. And don’t forget to include a representative from a media organization.
• Resolve to do at least one new thing to enhance media coverage for World TB Day 2003: hold a briefing session on TB for journalists that specialize in health issues; find out if you can get World TB Day booked as the topic for the local radio phone-in programme around 24 March; plan a high-profile event that will attract media attention.
• Get cured TB patients involved in TB education in new ways. Organize TB patient advocates to speak to sports clubs. Encourage interested TB patients to organize themselves into patients’ groups that can work together to recruit volunteers for DOTS and provide education to the community.
• And of course, open new DOTS clinics with a great deal of fanfare – invite local dignitaries, NTP representatives, the Minister of Health, the media and the general public.

You can find many more ideas in the World TB Day 2002 Highlights Report which is available on the Stop TB website at:  http://stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2002/Final_Highlights_Report_2002.pdf  

World TB Day 2003 logo and images

The new logo and images for World TB Day 2003 are now available for downloading from the Stop TB website at: www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2003/default.asp. You can use them for posters, brochures and any other media you are planning to produce for World TB Day 2003. The Stop TB Partnership will print a limited number of posters for distribution beginning February. If you are not on the Stop TB mailing list and wish to obtain hard copies, send us your requests to: stoptbinfo@who.int

For more information on planning for World TB Day 2003, consult "Guidelines for Social Mobilization: Planning World TB Day", available online at: /events/world_tb_day/2000/assets/documents/tbguide.pdf or order a hard copy from the CDS Documents Centre at: cdsdoc@who.int.

For more information on World TB Day 2003, visit our website at: www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2003/default.asp or contact the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat at: stoptbinfo@who.int.