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A RESOLUTION recognizing March 24, 2026, as World Tuberculosis Day in King County, Washington.

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                     WHEREAS, each year on March 24, the global community recognizes World Tuberculosis Day to raise awareness of the ongoing health, social, and economic impacts of tuberculosis and to accelerate efforts to eliminate this preventable and curable disease, and

                     WHEREAS, March 24 marks the historic 1882 announcement by Dr. Robert Koch identifying Mycobacterium tuberculosis as the cause of tuberculosis ("TB"), a discovery that paved the way for modern diagnosis and treatment, and

                     WHEREAS, TB remains one of the world’s leading infectious disease killers, taking an estimated 1.2 million lives globally in 2024, surpassing all other infectious agents including COVID-19, and

                     WHEREAS, King County continues to experience a higher TB incidence than the United States overall, with 110 reported cases in 2024-an incidence rate of 4.8 per 100,000, compared with 3.0 per 100,000 nationally, and

                     WHEREAS, TB disproportionately affects communities of color and immigrants in King County, with 85 percent of 2024 cases occurring among people born outside the United States, and

                     WHEREAS, TB continues to impact vulnerable populations, including seven cases among people experiencing homelessness in 2024, underscoring the need for sustained outreach, screening, and treatment access, and

                     WHEREAS, the King County TB program conducted 63 contact investigations in 2024, highlighting the essential role of surveillance and rapid response in preventing transmission, and

                     WHEREAS, an estimated 100,000 King County residents are living with latent TB infection, and nearly all future active TB cases could be prevented through expanded latent TB infection testing and treatment, and

                     WHEREAS, the TB program has strengthened prevention efforts by partnering with community navigators, supporting refugees and immigrants with TB follow up, and delivering multilingual education, and

                     WHEREAS, eliminating TB requires sustained commitment, culturally informed care, community partnership, and equitable access to TB services for all residents,

                     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the King County Board of Health:

                     March 24, 2026, is proclaimed World Tuberculosis Day in King County, Washington, and the Board calls upon all residents, healthcare providers, community organizations, and public institutions to join in raising awareness, reducing stigma,

expanding prevention efforts, and supporting the ongoing work to eliminate tuberculosis in our communities.