CNS Stop-TB News Monitor provides a snapshot of five major news pieces on tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment, care and support related issues, from around the
world, particularly prioritising news highlights from TB high-burdened countries and links to major TB-related events or other advocacy opportunities. This is issue 26 (17-22 July 2010).1. TB-HIV co-infection: Giving ART and treating TB slow HIV progression
(Source: Citizen News Service - CNS)
GIVE ART TO ALL HIV INFECTED TB PATIENTS REGARDLESS OF CD4 COUNT
The message was clear: Putting TB-HIV co-infected people on the anti-retroviral treatment (ART) do slow down HIV progression to AIDS. However ART induced immune maintenance and recovery have no difference on the outcome of anti-TB treatment in studies done in different parts of Asia and Africa, presented on second day of the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna, Austria. Read more
2. Spain should increase investment in tuberculosis R & D
(Source: Citizen News Service - CNS)
The Spanish government was encouraged to invest in tuberculosis research and development (R&D) as part of its policy of international cooperation in health. "Spanish government should support and fund the tuberculosis (TB) research and development (R & D) because we don't have adequate health tools to face the TB pandemic globally: more effective tools are needed. Research and development is essential part of international cooperation policies," said Laia Ruiz Mingote from Planeta Salud, who had a poster discussion on this issue at the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna, Austria. Read more
3. Can TB patients say "Rights Here, Right Now"?
(Source: Citizen News Service - CNS)
It is beyond doubt that community-led health responses have yielded satisfying results, yet genuine involvement of affected communities in TB control, is far from optimal. Nevertheless there are significant advancements made over the past years to push TB control stakeholders to meaningfully engage TB patients at every level of the TB response. "The theme of this year's XVIII World AIDS Conference is Rights here, Rights now, and from the Roadmap of HIV/TB sessions it is very encouraging to see that the Rights of TB-HIV co-infected patients are well represented during what promises to be a very full and interesting week" said Dr Anthony Harries, Senior Advisor, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). Read more
4. A new TB vaccine could be ready by 2020
(Source: Citizen News Service - CNS)
The current tools are not enough to control tuberculosis epidemic. The 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Control Report says that the incidence of TB per capita continues to go down since 2004 however the decline is just one per cent per year which implies that TB will not be eliminated for centuries if we conduct 'business as usual'. The existing BCG vaccine which came into the market in 1921, has limited effectiveness in preventing people from TB. Further, the BCG vaccine which is used to prevent childhood TB may not be safe for children living with HIV. That is why Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation and other agencies including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are pushing hard to accelerate research and development of safe and effective TB vaccines. Read more
5. Priority is to up TB-HIV collaborative activities
(Source: Citizen News Service - CNS)
There is convincing evidence that scaling up collaborative TB-HIV activities, improve TB and HIV programme performances. “In 2008, there were an estimated 9.4 million incident TB cases globally, more than at any other time in history. Of these, there were an estimated 1.4 million who were co-infected with HIV” said Professor (Dr) Anthony Harries, Senior Adviser to International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) at the pre-conference session of the XVIII International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Vienna, Austria. "In 2008, there were 1.8 million estimated deaths from TB, of whom 0.52 million were co-infected with HIV, giving an HIV-TB case fatality rate of 37%" said Prof Harries. "The number of HIV co-infected TB cases is too high, and the number of HIV-associated TB deaths is too high" said Prof Harries. Read more
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July 18-23: XVIII International AIDS Conference, Vienna, Austria
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USEFUL LINKS!
To download or read the Global Plan to Stop TB (2006-2015), click here
To download or read The Stop TB Strategy, click here
To subscribe to the global Stop-TB eForum, established by Health & Development Networks (HDN), send an email to: join-stop-tb@eforums.healthdev.org
To download or read the Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Care (PCTC), click here
To download or read the International Standards of Tuberculosis Care (ISTC), click here
Know more about: Advocacy to Control TB Internationally (ACTION), AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa (ARASA), International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), TB Alert, TB/HIV Care Association, TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI), World Care Council, [to feature your organisation, send an email to: bobby@citizen-news.org]
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This CNS Stop-TB News Monitor is produced by CNS Stop-TB Initiative, a partner of Stop TB Partnership
