International Women's Day!
International Women's Day: Accelerate action to end TB
International Women's Day (IWD) has been observed and embraced by everyone who values women's equality for over a hundred years (since 1911). To envision a world where gender equality is the norm, one that is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination—we must work together as a collective force. It is essential to accelerate our efforts towards a diverse, equitable, and inclusive world, especially in 2025, when equality risks being sidelined amid ongoing chaos in the world.
This year’s theme for #IWD2025 is #AccelerateAction – and as global TBPPM network we are joining to celebrate women's achievements.
Gender plays a crucial role and should be a key component of strategies aimed at ending the global TB epidemic. Gender-responsive approaches that address cultural, structural, social, and individual determinants are essential for accelerating progress toward global targets to reduce TB morbidity and mortality.
Though the male-to-female ratio in patients of pulmonary tuberculosis was 2:1, the impact of TB can be particularly severe for women, especially during their reproductive years and throughout pregnancy. Moreover, women often focus on their roles as caregivers for TB patients at home, which makes them vulnerable. They also face challenges to accessing TB services as income earners if they rely on daily income from self-employment because of lack of time to visit or wait at health facilities. Therefore, accelerated actions should be designed to better serve working women, taking into account their dual roles and the unique obstacles they encounter in accessing TB care.
The TB-PPM network is uniquely positioned to unite the voices of women affected by, and at high risk for, tuberculosis (TB) with experts, researchers, policymakers, and implementers of TB and social protection programs. The network emphasizes the need for people-centered TB care and include gender-transformative approaches in patient-doctor relations. Such an approach would not only accelerate progress toward ending TB but also contribute to the overall goal of creating a gender-sensitive health sector. Today, we are celebrating all the women who work, care and deliver to #EndTB!