To commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day this year, Results Canada staff, volunteers, and partners worked hard to shine a bright red light on TB – a disease that is often overlooked and underprioritized. Each year our goal is to build awareness for TB among decision makers and the general public, and to stand in solidarity with the millions of people affected by TB.
Realizing our vision of a world free of TB is dependent on strong political will, which enables the policy changes and resource mobilization needed to eliminate this longstanding epidemic. The first step to generating this political will is educating parliamentarians and building political champions who will push for action. Results Canada is proud to work alongside members of parliament who share our vision of a world where nobody suffers from TB. We were glad to stand alongside many of them this World TB Day.
On March 23, Results Canada staff, volunteers, and partners connected with parliamentarians across party lines to celebrate Canada’s efforts towards TB elimination and discuss what further action is needed to achieve this goal. We would like to thank MPs Pam Damoff, Gary Vidal, and Lori Idlout for sponsoring the event and speaking to the urgent need for Canada to address the TB crisis, at home and abroad. We would also like to thank Minister of International Development, Harjit Sajjan, and Minister of Prairies Economic Development and Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Dan Vandal, for joining the event and demonstrating their support for TB elimination efforts. The event highlighted how ending TB is a non-partisan issue – something that everyone should support.
We would also like to thank our partners who joined us for the parliamentary reception, including Stop TB Canada, TB Alliance, FIND, Canadian Thoracic Society, and the Global Fund. We are grateful to work alongside strong partners in Canada and around the world towards our shared vision of a world free of TB. Thank you to Results volunteers Catherine, Taranjeet and Videsha who graciously donated their time to speak with parliamentarians about the importance of TB eradication.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to MP Pam Damoff, for raising the issue of tuberculosis in the House of Commons ahead of World TB Day. It is with strong champions like MP Damoff that we will continue to build the political will necessary to end TB. Listen to MP Damoff’s address here.
The success of this World TB Day could not have been possible without our volunteer advocates. Canadians across the country came together and demonstrated that they care about ending TB. They got 45 landmarks lit up in red, secured three mayor proclamations, wrote letters to the editor and urged Canada to invest in TB REACH on social media. Groups of volunteers in Ottawa, Montreal, Hamilton, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria got together to take photos in front of illuminated landmarks.
Over 60 volunteers contributed to the success of the illumination campaign. Honourable mention to Sultana Virani, Victoria Cassar and Lynn Angie Perou for sending the over 10 illumination requests each!
AB
Fort Calgary (Calgary)
Telus Spark Science Center (Calgary)
Calgary Tower (Calgary)
Olympic Plaza (Calgary)
Sundial (Grande Prairie)
BC
Lafarge Lake Fountain (Coquitlam)
New Westminster City Hall (New Westminster)
Victoria Street Bridge (Trail)
Bloedel Conservatory (Vancouver)
Sails of Light- Canada Place (Vancouver)
Science World (Vancouver)
BC Place (Vancouver)
Vancouver City Hall (Vancouver)
Burrard Street Bridge (Vancouver)
Jack Poole Plaza (Vancouver)
Harbour Centre (Vancouver)
Legislative Assembly of BC (Victoria)
Capital Regional District Building (Victoria)
Port Coquitlam City Hall (Port Coquitlam)
NB
Fredericton city hall (Fredericton)
Downing Street (Moncton)
Downtown Place (Moncton)
CN Subway Bridge (Moncton)
Avenir Centre (Moncton)
NS
Halifax City Hall (Halifax)
ON
Clock Tower (Brampton)
Burlington Brant Street Pier (Burlington)
Peace Bridge (Fort Erie)
Market Square-Guelph City Hall (Guelph)
HAMILTON sign @ Hamilton City Hall (Hamilton)
Kingston City Hall (Kingston)
Clock Tower (Mississauga)
Newmarket City Hall (Newmarket)
Fred A. Lundy Bridge (Newmarket)
Niagara Falls (Niagara)
Oakville City Hall (Oakville)
Ottawa Sign (Ottawa)
Connaught Building (Ottawa)
Shaw Centre (Ottawa)
CN Tower (Toronto)
Toronto sign (Toronto)
Turtle Monument : Truth monument in memory of all the children taken, those who dies, and those not yet found (Wasauksing First Nation)
QC
Stade Olympique (Montréal)
SK
Nutrien Tower (Saskatoon)
RBC Tower (Saskatoon)
Results Canada Fellows did their own media outreach by emailing or tweeting journalists in their area. One fellow, Victoria Cassar, was interviewed on Global News Edmonton - an amazing accomplishment!
"I’m so grateful for the chance to raise awareness about tuberculosis elimination on World Tuberculosis Day, and why Canada should commit to concrete steps for elimination. I cherish this opportunity to be an advocate for a world without tuberculosis and plan to keep this conversation going. If we unite together, ending tuberculosis is possible.”
Multiple other volunteers and fellows were published in the media ahead of World TB Day. Read some of their amazing LTEs:
What’s stopping us from stopping TB? by Dena Sharafdin from the Online Group, published in the The Hill Times on 01 February 2023
TB REACH by Victoria Cassar from the Downtown Toronto Group, published in the Toronto Sun on 27 February 2023
Canada must live up to UN health commitments by Marnie Shaw from the Calgary Group, published in the The Regina Leader Post on 02 March 2023
Opinion: The world united to fight COVID. It should do the same with TB by Veda Jain-Allington from the North York Group, published in the Ottawa Citizen on 27 March 2023
Imagine a World Without TB by Preety Sharma from the Oakville Group, published in the The Peterborough Examiner on 17 March 2023
Paint the town red to fight tuberculosis by Connie LeBeau from the Victoria Group, published in the Times Colonist on 23 March 2023
Continue TB fight by Omar Qudah from the London Group, published in the The London Free Press on 24 March 2023
Results staff were impressed by the dedication that volunteers and fellows showed to World TB Day! To our volunteers – your actions made such an impact.
TAKE ACTION
While we celebrate the success of this World TB Day, we recognize that there is much still to be done in the quest to end TB. Our advocacy is far from over. Results Canada remains committed to generating the political will to end TB at home and abroad.
We continue to call on Canada to re-commit to TB REACH by pledging CAD$33 million over 3 years. This investment is essential to ensuring that those affected by TB around the world can access the care they need. Help us put pressure on Canada to make this investment by using the click-to-tweet below:
