Tuberculosis needs and gets support

Hurray for the editorial you recently ran bringing attention to tuberculosis, the world’s leading infectious killer (more than HIV and malaria combined!), and the subject of the High Level Meeting at the United Nations on Sept. 26.

This meeting is about bringing attention to the 3.6 million who have tuberculosis and aren’t being treated — perhaps don’t even know they have it. Remembering that the vast majority of people with TB live in poverty, it makes sense that they often fly below the public health radar.

Our vigilance in finding and treating the missing millions is a practice of seeing every person as valuable and worthy of our efforts and our support. Which person in the world doesn’t have a mother, father, or other family member who desperately wants them to live?

We can be proud that Denny Heck, Derrick Kilmer, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray all signed onto a letter to the Administration urging that the US demonstrate clear leadership in the global fight against TB.

As the editorial rightly said, there has been remarkable success in combating TB, particularly in its lethal combination with HIV infection. But there is more to do, and more money needed — a pittance in the scheme of all that we choose to spend federal money on.

Now it’s up to world leaders to garner the attention and funding needed to support people with tuberculosis to be seen, get treatment, and live to see another day.