At KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, we can look back on the year 2018 with much pride. It was a successful, progressive year with a lot of attention for tuberculosis (TB). The communication and fundraising department would like to thank all donors, (former) TB patients, partners and colleagues alike for their contribution and dedication. Without your support, it wouldn’t have been possible to create so much attention for TB.
The KNCV campaign ‘Iedereen kan de tering krijgen’, launched in parallel to World TB Day on March 24th 2018 and definitely got tongues wagging. ‘Tering’ is often used in the Netherlands as a swear word but as our campaign proved, many people are clearly unaware that ‘tering’ is an old word for tuberculosis.
What is tuberculosis?
KNCV developed a short, informative film to help more people understand the symptoms and treatment of TB. The film attempts to explain the world’s deadliest infectious disease in a clear, concise and appealing way. The video can be viewed here.
A Story of Hope
Another 2018 project involved the development of KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation’s portable exhibition A Story of Hope. The exhibition provides an historical insight into the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease during the last decade or so.
The exhibition was on display at the former sanatorium Zonnestraal (Hilversum), the Dudok Architecture Centre (Hilversum), The Hague City hall and the World Forum (The Hague). In 2019, the exhibition will travel to a number of countries where KNCV is working to combat TB. A short snippet of A Story of Hope can be viewed here.
Tering ambassador Anne Kuik
CDA’s Member of Parliament Anne Kuik was the first Dutch MoP to sign the Barcelona Declaration-the international document in which politicians commit to the fight against TB. As a young parliamentarian, Anne Kuik wishes to remind other young people of the dangers of the disease. Happy to be referred to as a ‘tering ambassador’, Anne Kuik wants to increase the awareness and prominence of TB. KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation is extremely grateful to have such an influential ambassador. Read more about Anne Kuik: https://www.kncvtbc.org/2018/09/25/tweede-kamerlid-anne-kuik-wordt-tering-ambassadeur/
49th Union World Conference on lung health
The world’s largest lung disease conference took place last year from 24 to 27 October at the world Forum in The Hague. More than 3500 TB experts from 125 countries convened at the conference at which KNCV was the local host. In addition to the professional’s program, there was also a public program. An impression can be seen here.
KNCV stool test breakthrough for childhood TB
KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation made (inter)national headlines in 2018 with the announcement of a fantastic breakthrough, namely the KNCV stool test. Children can be diagnosed much easier using this simple, painless method. Current diagnosis techniques require invasive, painful methods in order to extract mucus. KNCV’s aim is that all children in the world will have access to this stool test by 2020. More about the stool test: https://www.kncvtbc.org/2018/10/25/nederlandse-poeptest-doorbraak-in-tbc-bestrijding-bij-kinderen/
What do you remember about TB? Dwalen in verhalen (Lose yourself in stories)
A visit to the school nurse to get the ‘scratch’ test! Missing your best friend for a long period of time because he/she had to stay in the sanatorium to recover! Many Dutch people, born around the time of the Second World War, still have very vivid memories of TB. These stories should not be forgotten. Via this new campaign, we invite everyone to share their TB memories including those people who have also suffered TB more recently.
Read these inspirational stories at: https://www.dwaleninverhalen.nl/
Continuing the fight in 2019
In 2019, we will continue with our ‘Dwalen in Verhalen’ campaign. We also aim to create considerable attention for TB around the period which includes World TB day (March 24th ). This unnecessary disease however, deserves much more attention. TB still takes the lives of more than 4,000 people every day! At KNCV we will continue our tireless fight against TB, but we cannot do it alone. We hope that you will continue to support us in 2019 and follow our activities via Twitter and Facebook. Together we can make tuberculosis a disease of the past.