2010 is a benchmark year in the fight against tuberculosis. Just five years remain until the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goal 6 of halving prevalence and deaths due to TB.

The international community has set a goal of universal access to prevention and treatment for all forms of TB, in adults and children, and among people living with HIV. On the occasion of World TB Day, I call on governments and their international partners to recognize that fully addressing tuberculosis (TB) is a key investment in the world's people.. The only successful exit strategy to win the struggle against the tuberculosis (TB), HIV and TB/HIV pandemics is to include them as part of broader development and poverty reduction strategies, and to strengthen health systems more effectively to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

This is a time of economic uncertainty, but few would disagree that hopes for the future are tied to the growth of more viable economies in the developing world. Providing TB care to all who need it is a vital component of this growth. We need new commitments, and we need to turn those commitments into action.

Click here for his video statement [.wmv]