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Tuberculosis has re-emerged as one of the leading killers in the world. Nearly two billion people, or one-third of the world’s population, have latent TB infection. The appearance of multi–drug resistant strains of tuberculosis has made the disease more difficult and more costly to treat than it was a half-century ago. The 33 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS have weakened immune systems and this condition can activate latent TB infection. Approximately one-third of AIDS deaths are from tuberculosis. World TB Day is held annually on March 24 to raise awareness and to further international collaboration in the fight to eliminate this curable disease.

Students will create a media work to inform people in their community about World TB Day and to motivate them to participate in local activities. Discuss why World TB Day is held each year. Challenge students to think of issues that they know about because of similar awareness campaigns and to reflect on what has made those campaigns memorable. Students should select the medium they feel will be most effective, such as a poster, a brochure, or a short radio or video public service announcement. Students’ work should include information about World TB Day, tuberculosis as an international health threat, tuberculosis in Canada today, effective measures to combat the disease, and local activities that would benefit their own community.

Have students share their work with one another. Encourage them to display their work in the school for an “unofficial” TB Day. If March 24 is near the time when students are working on this assignment, they can see if local activities are planned and add their own efforts to the day.