First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has called for a fundamental paradigm shift in the societal approach to tuberculosis, urging the public to prioritise compassion and the dissemination of rigorous, accurate information to dismantle the persistent stigma surrounding the disease. In a statement released to commemorate World Tuberculosis Day, the first lady underscored the profound personal toll of the illness, noting that the suffering extends far beyond those clinically diagnosed to affect their broader networks.
Addressing the public with a tone of authoritative urgency, the First Lady Sajidha underscored that the impact of the disease cannot be captured by epidemiological data alone. “On this #WorldTBDay, we acknowledge that tuberculosis is more than a statistic,” she noted, highlighting that “every case represents someone whose daily life is interrupted, whose family is affected, whose plans are put on hold”.
Despite medical advancements that render the disease both preventable and curable, the first lady warned that pervasive societal stigma and a lack of awareness continue to create significant barriers, preventing many from accessing timely and essential medical interventions. Eradicating the illness, she articulated, requires a holistic approach reaching beyond standard clinical settings. “Ending TB isn’t just about treatment, it’s about building supportive communities, spreading knowledge, and choosing compassion over judgment,” she stated.
First Lady Sajidha asserted that a collaborative societal effort is vital to eliminating the unnecessary hardships caused by the illness. “If we act together, we can make sure no one suffers from a disease we already know how to prevent and cure,” she affirmed. On a national level, the Maldives is implementing strategic measures to combat tuberculosis in coordination with the World Health Organization, establishing a definitive target to drastically reduce the disease's prevalence by 2030 to ensure it is no longer a significant threat to public health.