Stop TB Italy, as every year, has organized events to raise awareness on the problem of tuberculosis among the general population and the health care providers and has obtained a good resonance on the press and social networks. This year we have decided to expand our reach by organizing events in several Italian cities.

In Milan, Stop TB Italy together with Doctors with Africa CUAMM has organized a conference entitled “Stop TB in my lifetime“, held on March 14 at the Civic Aquarium.

The conference was addressed to doctors, health and social workers, and international cooperation operators and had the aim to search for new forms of collaboration between the various partners and to promote new organizational models, in order to carry out more effective and sustainable projects on tuberculosis control in high burden countries.

The conference was attended by over 120 persons, mostly young trainees, students and international cooperation workers, particularly interested in the topics covered, in view of their active involvement and future career. Various institutions gave their support to the event, among which the Department for Social Policies and Culture of Health of the Municipality of Milan, who has kindly hosted the conference in the Civic Aquarium and with which Stop TB Italy has established an excellent and on going collaboration.

Among the different speakers, Mario Raviglione, showed the overall epidemiological situation and the new challenges and objectives of the post 2015 TB strategy. The conference highlighted the experiences of the various actors involved in TB control: the non-profit represented by CUAMM and Stop TB Italy, the private sector represented by COE and BE Partec Health Association and the universities and research institutions represented by the WHO collaborating centre in Italy. Everyone has stressed the importance of international cooperation projects but also the problems related to lack of funds and resources. Therefore the conference ended with the aim of joining forces and expertise in a joint program.

In Bologna, on the evening of March 22 the photo exhibition with all the winning photographs of the Stop TB award entitled “Health, Immigration and Tuberculosis” was launched at the Cortile Café.

The cultural event is the brainchild of two young specialists in infectious diseases of Bologna, engaged in an association that provides health care to vulnerable people and immigrants. They wanted to use art to draw attention to a disease not well known and often forgotten.

The aim of the exhibition, which runs until April 10, is to interpret the disease among the most vulnerable sections of the population through photographs. The photographers have interpreted, sometimes in a metaphorical way, the social and health aspects related to tuberculosis, and have communicated them with images, often stronger than numbers and words. The exhibition launch was attended by more than 100 people, including many young people, active in the social sphere.

Stop TB Italy has also landed in Palermo. On March 21 and 22 the charity event “Now it’s magic 2013” was held at the King movie theatre with the support of various local institutions.

The most famous Disney mascots have entertained the children with an exciting animated show, followed by an extraction of prizes sponsored by Palermo Calcio and the exclusive screening of the new film “The great and powerful Oz”.

The event not only allowed1600 students of primary and secondary schools to spend a fun day with the stars of the cartoons, but also to raise awareness of tuberculosis and raise funds for the fight against tuberculosis among the Tibetan community in Dharamsala in India. In particular, some of the funds raised have been used for the organization of awareness and education activities among the Tibetan refugees in India on the World TB Day.

Finally, the Association has promoted the fourth edition of “To Be Continued“, a concert lasting 24 hours, with 48 connections from more than 39 different countries, which was possible to listen from every part of the world in live streaming on the website of Stazione di Topolò: www.stazioneditopolo.it

All the pictures of the events and the winning photographs of the “Stop TB Award” are available on the Stop TB Italy FB page () and the power point presentations on the public profile of Stop TB Italy on slideshare ().

For any further information visit the Stop TB Italy website (www.stoptb.it)