To commemorate the 20th World Tuberculosis Day, this March 24th, there was an activity in Beijing, on March 23.

Kang Hui, a prominent CCTV figure, together with actors Jiang Wenli and Pu Cunxin were appointed as publicity ambassadors for TB prevention and treatment.

On hand to address the gathering was Wang Guoqiang, a vice-minister at the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), who explained to the crowd that the disease still poses a serious threat in China, especially for poor people, but that, “The Chinese government has made great strides in TB prevention and control in recent years.”

Wang went on to call for medical and health institutes to try to increase the cure rate and decrease drug resistance and asked government at all levels to use policies to minimize patient suffering, while emphasizing the importance of publicity and education in TB prevention.

Organizers of the activity were the NHFPC, Beijing Health and Family Planning Commission, Chinese Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Chinese Health Education Center, and Beijing Research Institute for Tuberculosis Control, with representatives of the World Health Organization and provincial health and family planning commissions taking part.