Purpose
Use this letter to introduce the Think. Test. Treat TB campaign, resources, and ideas for promotion to health care providers, community-based organizations, and other partners in tuberculosis elimination.
Letter
Dear Public Health Partner,
Tuberculosis (TB) remains an important preventable disease in the United States.
The CDC estimates that up to 13 million people in the United States are living with latent TB infection (sometimes called inactive TB). One in 10 of those people could develop active TB disease and spread it unknowingly. Testing and treating latent TB infection is a critical step to eliminating TB in the United States.
TB is also a disease of disparity, disproportionately impacting Asian and Pacific Islander communities. This is an important public health issue that needs to be addressed to build healthier communities and achieve health equity.
We are excited to have your support on the Think. Test. Treat TB campaign, the first national communications campaign to raise awareness of inactive TB.
The Think. Test. Treat TB campaign includes resources in multiple languages and toolkits for partners and health care providers to make it easy for you and your organization to promote testing and treatment of inactive TB. The toolkit contains:
- Key messages for general audiences and media, and health care providers
- Social media content for both general audiences and health care providers (X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn)
- Sample language for general audiences and health care providers for use in newsletters or other communications channels, including updates to staff, provider networks, associations, and community-based communications efforts
- A video depicts a conversation about TB testing between a patient and health care provider
- Educational materials, including conversation guides for both patients and health care providers
We encourage you to use these materials to help spread the word within your networks. In addition to the partner toolkit, a Campaign Resource Overview provides a list of materials available for download and print.
Thank you for your partnership and commitment to TB elimination.
Philip LoBue, MD, FACP, FCCP
Director, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention