World NTM Awareness Day
We join the global awareness campaign about Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM)
NTM Info & Research press release (August 4, 2023)
NTM Info & Research (www.ntminfo.org), a pioneering global organization committed to addressing the nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM, or NTM) and improve respiratory health, proudly announces the first World NTM Awareness Day, which will take place on August 4, 2023.
This significant milestone celebrates the organization's 20th anniversary and honors the unwavering commitment of its founders Fern and Philip Leitman to advance awareness, support, and treatment options for people affected by NTM.
World NTM Awareness Day is the ideal platform to raise global awareness of NTMs, a complex and often misunderstood group of bacteria that cause chronic infections, predominantly affecting the respiratory system. With this celebration, NTM Info & Research (NTMir) honors the vision and dedication of its founders, who embarked on this journey two decades ago with a mission to transform the lives of people affected by NTM.
Almost all patients with NTM have bronchiectasis, either before or as a result of NTM.
“Not enough emphasis has been placed on the connection between NTM lung disease and the underlying lung damage, bronchiectasis, but the two go hand in hand, affecting millions of people worldwide, at a cost of tens of thousands. dollars a year for each patient,” says Amy Leitman JD, president of NTMir and daughter of Fern and Philip Leitman. "Understanding and managing both conditions gives patients the opportunity to improve quality of life and achieve better outcomes." Over the years, NTM Info & Research has partnered with global organizations that have been at the forefront of advocacy, research and collaboration, driving positive change in the NTM and bronchiectasis community."
Awareness about NTMs and treatment options have made great strides. This anniversary celebration underscores the organization's ongoing commitment to its founding principles and recognizes the remarkable progress made in NTM awareness, diagnosis, and patient care. Leitman expresses. “This special day not only celebrates the achievements of our organization, but also highlights the global NTM community, honoring the resilience and strength of those affected by this challenging condition. We would like to thank all of our sponsors for helping to make this event. a reality, especially our platinum sponsor, Insmed”.
The inaugural World NTM Awareness Day will feature a virtual webinar and panel discussion with renowned experts, researchers and advocates, providing valuable information on the latest advances in NTM diagnosis, treatment and support. However, more awareness and research is needed for earlier detection and treatment options that support the quality of life of the NTM patient. Visited worldntmday.org to learn more about how to take concrete steps to help people affected by NTM, promote early detection, and improve treatment outcomes.
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NTM Info & Research (NTMir) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed on behalf of patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM) for patient support, medical education, and research. The organization serves patients, healthcare providers, and researchers dealing with bronchiectasis and NTM. It advocates for a broad agenda to promote early diagnosis, better treatment and research. The mission is to give voice to the concerns of all our constituents with government officials and agencies that guide, research and regulate therapies developed to treat these diseases. NTM Info & Research recognizes the need to advance bronchiectasis education and treatment.
NTMir was founded by Fern Leitman, an NTM patient, and her husband Philip. During treatment at National Jewish Health in Denver, they met many patients from different parts of the country who had experienced late diagnoses and were frightened by being unfamiliar with many aspects of NTM disease.
