Actress Emma Thompson is urging more people to get tested for TB as part of the London Mayor's campaign to make people more aware of the disease.
TB is more prevalent in London than any other capital in Western Europe.
To help raise awareness, the award-winning actress and her son Tindy Agaba visited a mobile ‘Find & Treat’ screening unit at University Colleg London Hospitals (UCLH) on Wednesday (January 13).
The unit travels across the capital diagnosing and treating TB and other infectious diseases.
The visit came as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published updated guidance to better treat and prevent TB.
In 2014, there were 2,572 TB cases reported in London and, while eight out of 10 TB cases in London are in people born abroad, anyone can contract TB.
Mrs Thompson has a special interest in TB after her son Tindy was diagnosed and treated for the disease by UCLH doctors in 2011.
Appointed the mayor’s TB ambassador in January 2015 to help raise awareness of the disease among Londoners and challenge the stigma associated with it, Emma met service users at the Whitechapel Mission homeless day centre today as they underwent X-Rays and received vaccines against flu and pneumonia.
The visit formed part of a project to develop a short film with Public Health England to raise awareness of TB amongst Londoners.
'The scale of TB is truly alarming'
Mrs Thompson said: “Early diagnosis and treatment are vital in the fight against TB, a battle which I am deeply committed to after my son Tindy’s experience of the disease.
“The Find & Treat service plays an invaluable role in reaching out to all sections of our community, providing support and raising awareness of how important it is to get tested, get treated and get cured.
"It is already making a huge difference, screening thousands of people and helping them return to health.
“The scale of TB in such a developed, world-class city as London is truly alarming and I will continue to work with the mayor to keep this disease at the top of the health agenda.”
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “It’s essential that Londoners know the symptoms of TB and where to go for help if we’re to rid the capital of this debilitating disease.
“Whilst TB rates in London have dropped over the last three years, it is unacceptable that our great city still has some of the highest levels in western Europe.
“The Find & Treat service is making a real difference by diagnosing and treating hard-to-reach communities across the capital.
“Emma and Tindy are doing a great job raising awareness of this illness and I urge all Londoners to remember that anyone can become infected with TB and to get tested if they have any concerns.”
