Saturday, 24 March 2007, marked World Tuberculosis Day and the 125th anniversary of the discovery of the bacterium that causes the lung disease. The World Health Organization estimates about nine million people around the world have TB, and 1.6 million die from it every year. The greatest burden is in South and East Asia, followed closely by Africa and the Western Pacific regions.  Here, VOA correspondents provide an update on the status of the battle against TB.