Millions of lives will be lost and and a staggering US$47 billion in treatment costs are expected to be incurred if the funding targets set by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria are not met, according to a report released today. According to the report Cost of Inaction, if the Global Fund […]
TB Alert wins best content award at PHE Conference
TB Alert beat over 700 other entries to win the award for the poster with best content at Public Health England’s 2013 conference. The poster shows how The Truth About TB programme is bringing together statutory agencies, community organisations and people affected by TB to improve TB services and drive down the incidence of the […]
New tests speed up diagnosis of TB drug resistance
Three new diagnostic tests were found to dramatically cut down the time it takes to identify TB drug resistance, potentially saving lives, according to a new study. While traditional drug-susceptibility testing can take between 21 days to three months, the new tests took just between five to 15 days to complete. Researchers from the University […]
Virtual monitoring could boost completion rates of TB treatments
New research shows that “virtually observing” patients taking their prescribed TB medication may be a successful way to help them complete their course of treatment. The virtually observed treatment (VOT) method calls for people to send a short video of themselves taking their medication to their healthcare provider using a mobile phone. VOT could be […]
TB origins traced to early humans, not animals
Human tuberculosis originated about 70,000 years ago and has been traced to hunter-gathering groups in Africa, according to research by an international team of scientists. The study, published in Nature Genetics, goes against the commonly held view that TB began in animals only 10,000 years ago and spread to humans. Dr Ruth McNerney, a lecturer […]
TB Alert is looking for a new Chair
After 15 years in post, Paul Sommerfeld is stepping down as Chair of TB Alert. We are now seeking a new Chair to help our vibrant young organisation grow in the UK and internationally. We want someone who can fill a key leadership role in a dynamic charity that is active in combating a global […]
Tuberculosis costs the EU billions
A new study has shown that TB is costing the European Union €5.9 billion per year, and that’s using conservative calculations. It’s estimated that actual costs could even be twice as high. The study was led by University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein in Kiel Germany, and involved a systematic review of literature and institutional websites. Researchers considered […]
Australia tests TB vaccine’s role in reducing allergies
A new trial in Victoria, Australia, will test whether the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine can boost children’s immune systems and reduce allergies, eczema and asthma. Hundreds of newborn babies are being given the jab, which had been phased out back in the 1980s when rates of TB dropped very low. By following up these children, […]
Russia sees drug resistant TB rates soar
Russia now has the highest rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistance (XDR) TB in Europe and the third highest in the world. However, despite the deteriorating situation, the Russian government has banished major TB programme funder USAID, as it’s American. Russia will also no longer accept help from the Global Fund for […]
200 year old TB DNA offers research leads
British scientists from the University of Warwick have recovered tuberculosis DNA from the lung tissue of a 200 year-old Hungarian mummy. The strain of TB found in the mummy offers scientists the opportunity to study TB bacteria from a time before antibiotics. Read the full story in the Daily Mail.