TB Facts

• Left untreated, 1 infectious case will infect an additional 10 - 15 people each year
• Someone is newly infected with TB each second
• 1 in 3 people on the globe are infected with the TB bacillus
• Nearly 1% of world´s population are newly infected with TB each year

A leading killer of children in Haiti, tuberculosis, commonly referred to as TB, is a bacterial infection that can spread through the lymph nodes and bloodstream to any organ of the body, but is usually found in the lungs. Because the bacteria that cause tuberculosis are transmitted through the air, the disease can be quite contagious. Tuberculosis thrives in conditions of poverty and overcrowding and kills about 2 million people each year worldwide.

International Child Care has a leading role in the prevention and cure of tuberculosis in Haiti through the national TB program. Emphasizing partnerships in their work, ICC supports a national network of clinics and TB control efforts throughout the country. Through these partnerships, International Child Care supports TB services to over 4,000,000 people. ICC´s partners in the crusade against tuberculosis include the World Health Organization, the Haitian Ministry of Health, World Bank, Canadian International Development Agency and thousands of local community participants. ICC distributes drugs, monitors cure rates, provides training and technical assistance and facilitates program planning and coordination to a network of 149 rural and urban clinics.