Peng Liyuan, the wife of President Xi Jinping and a goodwill ambassador of the World Health Organization for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, called on Monday for the international community to increase investment and take proactive steps to eradicate TB to advance the building of a global community of health for all.

Peng made the remarks in a written statement delivered to an online meeting organized by the WHO to commemorate World Tuberculosis Day, which is observed on March 24 each year to raise public awareness about the infectious disease and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.

In the statement, Peng commended the significant global achievements in TB prevention and control, acknowledging the success in saving 79 million lives since 2000 through the strong efforts of the WHO and the international community.

She hailed the significance of the online meeting, saying that it helps mobilize various forces to collectively address the public health challenges posed by TB and to make solid progress toward the ultimate goal of ending the epidemic.

Reflecting on her involvement in TB prevention and control efforts for more than a decade, Peng mentioned her visits to various medical institutions, schools and communities in China and other countries, and said she has witnessed the progress in global TB control efforts, especially the efforts in China.

Noting that the Chinese government attaches great importance to TB prevention and control, she said that China has incorporated it into the Healthy China Initiative and continuously optimizes measures for the prevention and control of the disease. The country has achieved a cure rate of over 90 percent nationwide, she added.

While acknowledging the existing challenges and difficulties in TB prevention and control, Peng said that eliminating the threat of TB is a common aspiration of humanity.

Ending the TB epidemic is a daunting task that requires collective efforts from the international community, she said, expressing her commitment to actively engage in TB prevention and control efforts.

Under the theme "Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver", the event took place in a virtual format with speakers participating in person or via video link on the End TB Forum, the WHO's interactive web platform.

caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn