The 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on the Fight to End Tuberculosis was held in New York on September 26.

Professor Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and World Health Organization (WHO) goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS, was invited to deliver a video message at the opening ceremony due to her status as an outstanding representative in the fight against TB.

Professor Peng shared her experiences and feelings about her work as a goodwill ambassador for more than a decade, telling behind-the-scenes stories of Chinese front-line medical staff and volunteers.

Peng stressed that it is because of the care and attention of the Chinese government and people of all walks of life, along with the dedication of about 700,000 volunteers, that preventing and curing TB in China has improved rapidly in recent years.

Thanks to them, TB patients are receiving more immediate and efficient diagnoses and treatment. In some regions in China, preventing and curing TB is becoming an important part of local poverty-alleviation work.

Instances of detecting and curing TB continue to increase, while incidence and mortality rates continue to decline, according to Peng. Many patients have been given a second life. Awareness of TB prevention and control has reached more than 75 percent of China's population.

Joint efforts from the governments of different countries, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, experts and volunteers have led to great achievements in the global prevention and control of TB, although there are still many challenges, Peng noted. The WHO has adopted an "End TB Strategy", calling on all countries to join hands in changing the lives of the millions of people affected with the disease and to work towards ending the epidemic.

Chaired by Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, President of the UNGA, the meeting ended with a political declaration on the Fight against Tuberculosis. Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, and other high-level representatives also attended.

(Top image: Professor Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and WHO goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, talks with a local student about TB prevention during her visit to Putuan village, central China's Hubei Province, on March 23, 2018, one day before World Tuberculosis Day. /Photo via Health and Family Planning Commission of Hubei Province)