The WHO aims to eliminate TB by 2035. Israel's National Tuberculosis Program has worked since 1997 to control and eliminate the disease and to better treat patients, with multiple stakeholders in the ministry and all the HMOs collaborating on the program.
The program has succeeded in lowering the number of TB cases from 10.8 cases per 100,000 people in 1998 to 2.4 cases per 100,000 people in 2019. This led Israel to becoming one of 53 countries and territories recognized by the WHO as being at a pre-elimination phase.
The DTA qualified as a WHO CC after years of joint activities and completing an extensive vetting process.
The center will include four years of joint activities, including a number of international events that will be hosted in Israel and abroad. It will share Israel's public health achievements against TB to help other countries reach the World Health Organization's TB elimination goals.
WHO CCs form part of an international collaborative network to support the WHO's program locally and globally, according to the world organization. Designations are initially made for four year terms and may be renewed for the same or a shorter period.
"Tuberculosis and AIDS are diseases that, to our benefit, are treatable. That being said, they are still communicable diseases, and the most important thing is to identify and diagnose the patients to prevent further infection," said Prof. Chezy Levy, director-general of the Health Ministry. "It is extremely important to continue research and to make the systems of tests, diagnoses and treatment accessible to all who require them, while maintaining the patient's dignity and confidentiality."