Drug-Resistant TB Rate Rising

Feb 29th, 2008 2:27 PM EST
By Virginia Simmons

The World Health Organization (WHO) published their largest survey ever on multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) on Tuesday. In summary, MDR-TB is more prevalent, and more in need of control, than ever.

“TB drug resistance needs a frontal assault. If countries and the international community fail to address it aggressively now we will lose this battle,” said Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO Stop TB Department. “In addition to specifically confronting drug-resistant TB and saving lives, programmes worldwide must immediately improve their performance in diagnosing all TB cases rapidly and treating them until cured, which is the best way to prevent the development of drug resistance.”

Read the full study here, some key findings below:

The WHO estimates that there are nearly 500,000 new cases of MDR-TB each year, about 5% of the approximately 9 million new cases of regular TB per year
The highest rates of MDR-TB were found in countries in the former Soviet Union and China. China and India carry about half the global burden of MDR-TB and the former Soviet states another 7%. Rwanda had a noticeably high percentage of MDR-TB cases among TB patients (3.9%), but data on MDR-TB presence in Africa was rather limited in the study.
Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), a virtually untreatable form of TB, has been recorded in 45 countries.
Surveys in Latvia and the Ukraine found nearly twice the level of MDR-TB among TB patients living with HIV compared to those without. In South Africa, 44% of TB patients are estimated to be co-infected with HIV.
MDR-TB and XDR-TB are progressively more expensive and difficult to treat.

The WHO estimates that $4.8 billion is needed for overall TB control in low and middle income countries in 2008, with $1 billion for MDR-TB and XDR-TB. There is a total finance gap for 2008 of $ 2.5 billion, including a $ 500 million gap for MDR-TB and XDR-TB.

TAGS: Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR-TB), Tuberculosis, World Health Organization

3 Comments

Dunn Egginksays: Jan 19th, 2009 8:10 PM EST

January 19, 2009 at 8:10 pm

Hello fellow ONE member,
I appreciate Bono speaking out on behalf of the worlds poor and sick. Don’t forget that the number one question asked Obama was “Will you legalize marijuana?”. Think about the benefits that medical cannabis can have on the millions of suffering Africans. I am very disturbed when I hear that UN Police are using international aid money to persecute cannabis growers in Africa and destroy such an important beneficial crop. Bono has enormous influence on UN leaders, and some of the world’s most powerful people. Please don’t think for a moment that by removing cannabis the UN is in any way helping the poor people of Africa or any other continent. This is a grave injustice, and I’m sure the sick and dying Africans effected by such laws would agree. The cannabis plant can help to provide food, clothing, shelter, safe medicine, and eco-friendly fuel. If the One Campaign really wants to help the poor, we should let them grow hemp, and if we must get involved, help them succeed in taking advantage of the many benefits of the hemp industry.
I hope Bono keeps up the good work, and helps to stop the bad work.
Thanx. www.nycamp.org

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