Stop TB Partners' Forum opens

An international meeting took place yesterday to herald the opening of the Stop TB Partners' Forum in Brazil.

The milestone meeting saw more than 1,300 people head to the Centro de Convençoes SulAmerica, with representatives from organisations all over the world present.

Dr Jorge Sampaio, the UN secretary-general's special envoy to Stop TB and the former president of Portugal, was among them.

"This is a landmark event. Here today, we have the largest single gathering of partner organisations from around the world working together on the global fight against tuberculosis in history," he stated.

"And it is happening in Brazil, a country that is confronting a serious threat from this disease but is making important strides against it."

A major new report into tackling TB is also being released at the meeting.

March 24th is World TB Day 2009 and a slogan of I Am Stopping TB is being used to promote the event.