Mar 24: On World Tuberculosis Day 2026, CLIRNET has convened a global virtual forum bringing together leading experts in respiratory and thoracic medicine from across the globe, including Prof. Mohamed Awad-Tag El Din (President, The Egyptian Society of Chest Disease and Tuberculosis), Dr. Rahel Argaw (President, Ethiopian Thoracic Society), Dr. Sandra Kwarteng (Vice President, Ghana Thoracic Society), Dr. Oluwafemi Ojo (Secretary General, Nigerian Thoracic Society), and Dr. Dimitrios Kantas (Chair, International Assembly of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine), along with moderators Dr. Moayad Alshehri (Interventional Pulmonologist; FRCP; Certified by the Canadian and American Boards in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Disease) and Dr. Saikat Banerjee (DM – Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, AIIMS Rishikesh, 2024), to focus on a critical gap in the fight against tuberculosis, which is the need for stronger, more consistent clinical practice.
Tuberculosis continues to affect over 10 million people each year and remains one of the leading infectious disease killers worldwide. While the tools to prevent and treat the disease exist, the reality on the ground is far more uneven. Delayed diagnosis, missed cases, and the steady rise of drug-resistant TB continue to challenge outcomes, particularly in regions where healthcare systems are already under strain.
This year’s theme by the World Health Organization, “Yes! We Can End TB Led by countries powered by people”, places renewed emphasis on collective responsibility. Within this larger context, CLIRNET’s initiative focuses on the role of clinicians, where the difference between early detection and delayed care often begins.
The forum creates a space for doctors to engage with global experts and exchange insights rooted in real clinical experience. Discussions centre on what is changing in TB care, how treatment approaches are adapting across regions, and what challenges continue to persist in day-to-day practice. This includes managing drug-resistant cases and treating patients with coexisting conditions such as diabetes, HIV, and malnutrition.
Saurav Kasera, Founder from CLIRNET said,
“Ending tuberculosis will require more than intent. It will require consistency in how care is delivered across settings. Our effort is to make sure that clinicians are not working in isolation but are continuously learning from a wider community of experts. When knowledge becomes more accessible, the quality of care follows.”
What sets this effort apart is its grounding in the realities of clinical practice. The exchange is shaped not by broad frameworks but by what doctors are seeing and managing in their own settings. This makes the learning immediately relevant and easier to apply.
By connecting clinicians across geographies, CLIRNET is working to reduce variation in care and support more informed decision-making at the point of treatment. As the global conversation around tuberculosis continues, this initiative highlights a key piece of the response, which is ensuring that knowledge reaches those who need it most, when they need it.
In doing so, CLIRNET’s World Tuberculosis Day forum moves the focus from awareness to action, where stronger clinical alignment can directly influence patient outcomes.
