You may have heard our Patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the radio this summer talking about Bwafwano, a TB Alert project in Zambia where volunteer caregivers help TB/HIV patients in their homes. In July I visited Bwafwano (thanks to the generosity of a corporate donor), and met Margaret and Loveness, who asked me to bring a message of thanks back to our kind supporters in the UK. Their story is on the card here.
In Africa TB and HIV are two diseases which are intertwined. HIV makes a person more susceptible to TB and TB makes HIV progress to AIDS more quickly. BUT TB is curable, even in someone who is HIV positive, and with drugs to keep HIV under control people are more able to fight off infections like TB. If we are to fight these two killer diseases effectively we cannot treat them in isolation, so TB Alert projects in Africa often include work with HIV too. Click here to read more about TB/HIV.
Funding from TB Alert has enabled Margaret, Loveness and the other caregivers from Bwafwano to supervise patients taking both TB and anti-HIV drugs. But offering their time to supervise patients’ medication is only a small part of what makes caregivers like Margaret and Loveness so special. When I met them I was inspired by their energy, their positive outlook, the way they care so deeply for their patients. A hug and a smile can mean so much to people who have often been rejected by their families, who are lonely and scared and have seen their friends die of the same disease they now have. Life in Zambia is hard, and it's even tougher for people with HIV/TB. But Margaret and Loveness, and caregivers like them, bring hope and comfort. Click here to read more about Bwafwano
Help us to continue to fund caregivers like Margaret and Loveness
We want to enable others in Zambia and elsewhere in Africa to become caregivers, like Margaret and Loveness. It is a practical way to fight both TB and HIV - I have seen for myself that it works and is very cost-effective. This Christmas will you make a donation to help TB Alert expand this work? There are many women like Margaret and Loveness who will lovingly give their time if you will provide the funds to train and equip them for the job. Thank you for your support.
Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas from all at TB Alert, and thank you again for your support.
id: xmas2006
(02/11/06) 10% rise in TB figures announced
Cases of Tuberculosis (TB) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have increased by 10.8% from 7,321 cases reported in 2004 to 8,113 in 2005 according to HPA figures released today.
London had the highest proportion of cases in 2005 (43%), having increased from 3,129 in 2004 to 3,479 in 2005. The regions with the highest number of new cases were the North West (588 in 2004 to 757 cases in 2005), East Midlands (443 in 2004 to 556 in 2005) and the East of England (395 in 2004 to 483 in 2005).
In response to the announcement, Paul Sommerfeld, Chair of TB Alert said:
"Since the Chief Medical Officer’s National Action Plan was published in October 2004, there has been increased effort to deal with TB. These new figures show a significant rise in cases in one year and underline the need to fully fund TB services in all risk areas of the country. This is a particularly worrying time, given the occurrence worldwide of extensively drug resistant strains (XDR-TB). UK TB services need to be strengthened and not allowed to weaken."
Today, leading TB/HIV activist Mr Winstone Zulu from TB Alert Zambia, together with Indian TB Programme Manager Dr L.S. Chauhan, were awarded the first ever Kochon Prize to mark their outstanding contributions to improved TB control.
By awarding this annual prize the Stop TB Partnership and the Kochon Foundation recognize and encourage those at the forefront of the fight to Stop TB. This prestigious international health prize was awarded by Kochon Foundation Chairman Mr Doo-Hyun Kim and Stop TB Partnership Executive Secretary Dr Marcos Espinal, at the 37th Union World Conference on Lung Health, Palais des Congrès, Paris.
Watch a short video by Winstone Zulu hi res/lo res
id: kochon
(24/10/06) Course: Interagency Working in TB, January-March 2007
The course will provide interactive, E-learning and practice-based activities and work place shadowing. The assessment will be based on group project planning and presentation and peer shadowing and review. The learning objectives will work toward the 10 public health competencies.
The course (15 credits) runs at level 3 (code NM3111K) and Masters level (code NMM055K). A certificate of attendance will be issued to those who do not wish to pursue a formal academic credit subject to satisfactory completion of course and practice-based activities. The course includes four study days (15th and 16th January; 27th Feb and 27th March 2007).
Entry requirements:
Course participants must have at least 12 months’ experience of working with disadvantaged groups in a health, housing, social care or related field and demonstrate evidence of leadership within their role. They should be able to access the internet. Candidates wishing to study at Master’s level will be invited for interview.
Applying for the course:
You should complete an application form and return it to Admissions stating the reasons why you want to do the course and how you, your client group, your team members and your organisation will benefit in section 7. You should also demonstrate evidence of leadership within your role. Please use an additional sheet. Please indicate which course you wish to enrol on using the appropriate course code.
Cost: £250
Course Tutor: Gill Craig (020 7040 5843;gill.craig.1@city.ac.uk)
Admissions contact: Daniel Miles (020 7040 5793 daniel.miles.1@city.ac.uk)
TB Alert is always delighted to find out about new developments and progress in the fight against TB, so we were interested to receive this article from a researcher who has worked closely with the founders of the company SRPharma for many years. We hope this will open debate and promote more valuable research.
id: enter an unique id here
(07/09/06) Thank you! Archbishop Tutu's appeal on Radio 4 was a success!
TB Alert's Radio 4 appeal went out on Sunday 6th August at 7.55am and 9.26pm, as well as the following Thursday at 3.27pm. at FM 92.4-94.6 and LW198.
Hundreds of people were touched by the story Archbishop Tutu told, perhaps because he had personal experience of TB, which nearly killed him as a child. BBC Appeals department took calls from donors from the minute the appeal ended, while our first donation direct to us came via this website at just after 8.30 am. From then on, calls, internet donations and post just kept coming - some with touching notes about the donors own experiences of surviving TB, knowing someone who died of TB or from personal experience of life in Africa. Many mentioned their respect for our patron and trusting that if he supported our charity they knew the money would be well spent.
Although we are still receiving gifts, the donations have slowed down, so we have done our sums and can announce that we have received over 500 gifts, totalling over £16,000. When we add in the gift aid we should receive over £17,500. A fantastic result!
All of us at TB Alert would like to say a huge thank you to all of those who contributed to this wonderful result. Your support makes a real difference to the work a small charity like TB Alert can do. But of course we cannot rest on our laurels - every year we can only fund less than half of the projects overseas that we would like to. So if you are still thinking of making a donation, you can still do so by calling 0845 223 5293 or going straight to our donate now page. Or if you have already donated why not ask a friend to do the same?
Email
if you didnt receive our commemorative appeal postcard and would like a copy.
You can listen again to the broadcast - click here (after 1 week the appeal will show on the right hand column "previous appeals" section for about 8 weeks).
We are sorry that we can't broadcast the appeal on our own website - however you can click here to read a transcript of the appeal, or click below to hear a short message from Archbishop Tutu recorded on the day he recorded the appeal: Listen lo-res / Listen hi-res
id: radio4-2
(06/09/06) WHO Concern over "virtually untreatable" XDR-TB
Research has shown that of XDR-TB, leaves patients (including many people living with HIV) virtually untreatable using currently available anti-TB drugs.
Later this week, WHO will join other TB experts at a two-day meeting in South Africa (7-8 September) to assess the response required to critically address TB drug resistance, particularly in sub-saharan Africa due to high HIV rates, and will take part in a news conference scheduled for Thursday, 7 September in Johannesburg.
Dr Paul Nunn, coordinator of the WHO team at the Stop TB department, said XDR TB was present across several strains, but added it
was not yet clear how transmissible it was or whether it was limited to isolated pockets. But he warned HIV positive people were at particular risk.
Paul Sommerfeld of TB Alert, said: "XDR TB is very serious - we are
potentially getting close to a bacteria that we have no tools, no weapons
against. What this means for the people in southern Africa, who are now
becoming susceptible to this where it is appearing, is a likely death
sentence.For the world as a whole it is potentially extremely worrying
that this kind of resistance is appearing. This is something that I am
sure the WHO will be taking very seriously."
The standard treatment for TB has been used since the late 1960s and involves taking four different medications (Rifampicin, Isoniazid, Pyrazinamide, sometimes combined as Rifater, plus Ethambutol) for two months, then Rifampicin and Isoniazid are continued alone for a further four months, sometimes combined as Rifinah. These are called first-line drugs.
If a strain of TB is resistant to Isoniazed and Rifampicin (this is called MDR-TB), there are second-line drugs which can be used but these are more toxic and involve a longer period of treatment. MDR-TB is most prevalent in Eastern Europe and Asia. In the UK, it accounted for 1% of all cases in 2004 (the most recent figures available).
XDR-TB, or Extensive Drug Resistant TB (also referred to as Extreme Drug Resistance) is MDR-TB that is resistant to three or more of the six classes of second-line drugs.
Drug resistance occurs due to incorrect or incomplete treatment -
problems include incorrect drug prescribing practices by providers, poor quality drugs or erratic supply of drugs, and also patient non-adherence.
(18/07/06) G8 Leaders pledge to support the Global Plan to Stop TB
G8 Leaders issued a Communique on the Fight Against Infectious diseases at their Summit in St. Petersburg. With regard to TB, the Communique states;
"21. One-third of the world's population is exposed to the risk of contracting TB, which claims about two million lives each year. In certain regions, it affects more people today than it did twenty years ago. We reaffirm the commitment we made at the Genoa Summit in 2001 to halt the spread of this disease. We will also support the Global Plan to Stop TB, 2006-2015, which aims to cut TB deaths in half by the year 2015 compared to 1990 levels, saving some 14 million lives over ten years, and call upon all donors and stakeholders to contribute to its effective implementation.
22. We note with concern the rate of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis co-infection and seek to promote unified coordination for activities in this regard.
34. We call for a wider use of strategies and tools that promote investment in the research, development and production of vaccines, microbicides and drugs for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases, and that assist in scaling up access to these means of prevention and treatment through innovative clinical research programs, private-public partnerships and other innovative mechanisms. In this regard, we take note of the steps taken on voluntary innovating financing mechanisms and other funding initiatives, the details of which are set out in the annex."
(13/07/06) Stop TB Partnership urges G8 leaders to prioritise TB
Leaders warned
half-measured responses to fight tuberculosis will fail those at most risk.
Geneva, Switzerland - 13 July 2006 -- On the eve of the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg, G8 leaders have been called to fund their fair share of the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015, and also honour previous Summit declarations to fight tuberculosis. The demands were made by the Stop TB Partnership, which represents 500 organizations working to eliminate TB worldwide.
Among those leading the Stop TB Partnership call was Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of WHO's Stop TB Department
“TB must not be sidelined at this summit. It must be addressed with the priority it deserves," said Dr Raviglione. "G8 leaders will be considering their response to the Global Plan to Stop TB. Half-measures will result in full failure for the poorest people in the world, the very people whose lives are at most risk from TB."
(10/07/06) TB activists present letter to Tony Blair
In the lead up to the G8 St Peterburg summit,
former TB Patients Annette Brooke MP, Paul Thorn and Anna Watterson deliver a letter to Tony Blair urging him to make TB a priority at the meeting. Click here to see a full copy of the letter (PDF file, opens in new window). The delivery of the letter was arranged by the advocacy organisation Results-UK.
Following the presentation, the Prime Minister became to first G8 leader to to sign and endorse the ‘Call to Stop TB’
campaign which urges governments to fully fund and implement the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-
2015. He said:
“The UK is fully committed to the Global Plan’s vision and goals. Both Hilary Benn and Gordon
Brown have confirmed their support of the Global Plan to Stop TB, 2006-2015 and called on all
nations to mobilise the resources needed to implement it. I will further echo this by adding my
signature to the ‘Call to Stop TB’.”
The Global Plan is expected to be central to high-level discussions on TB control taking place at next week’s G8 summit in St. Petersburg (July 17-19).
By signing the Call to Stop TB, the Prime Minister has reinforced the UK Government’s
commitment to the Global Plan’s vision and goals for 2015, to:
• Treat 50 million TB patients and save 14 million lives
• Produce the first new TB drug for 40 years by 2010
• Develop a new, affordable TB vaccine
• Halve TB prevalence and deaths
With infectious diseases on the G8 agenda, the summit provides a critical opportunity for firm
commitments to be made that will have a lasting impact on the 9 million people who each year are
infected with TB, a disease which is both treatable and preventable.
id: Letter to Tony
(08/07/06) TB scuppers Queen's tour of ship
Fifty-five Royal Navy personnel on a Plymouth-based helicopter carrier have been screened for tuberculosis after two crew contracted the disease.
The navy is investigating two confirmed cases in two months on board HMS Ocean. The Royal Navy said the first crewman, diagnosed in June, had recovered while the latest case was diagnosed on Wednesday and is being treated.
The ship is still operational but the outbreak has forced it to pull out of a visit by the Queen in London next week.
The TB Research and Development Day organised by the HPA TB Programme Board will be held at the Centre for Infections on Wednesday 19 July 2006. The registration deadline is Wednesday 12 July.
AIMS
To improve the effectiveness and coordination of research on tuberculosis carried out within the HPA
-
Provide an update on current TB research activity across the HPA
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Consider current and potential future sources of funding
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Compare the current HPA research portfolio with priorities identified in the Chief Medical Officer’s National Action Plan and NICE guidance, and identify gaps
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Encourage staff – best poster award presentation
(03/07/06)WHO
aviation guidelines for TB prevention
The World Health Organisation's new 'Tuberculosis and Air Travel' guidelines stipulate that people with infectious TB must postpone long-distance travel, while those with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) must postpone any air travel. Only lung or throat TB can be (but is not always) infectious and most people who are infectious stop being so within two weeks of commencing medication.
To date, no case of active TB has been identified as a result of exposure on a commercial aircraft. The quality of the air on board commercial aircraft is high and under normal conditions cabin air is cleaner than the air in most buildings.
"Increasing global TB incidence and the emergence of drug resistant strains of the disease has raised concerns about the international spread of particularly dangerous strains. We need clear and effective procedures in place to reduce the risk of transmission of infection on board flights, and to ensure the appropriate follow up when necessary," said WHO's Director of Stop TB, Dr Mario Raviglione
Journeys of more than eight hours in a confined aircraft cabin may involve an increased risk of transmission, but the risk should be similar to that in other circumstances where people are together in other confined spaces. The guidelines also advise that aircraft ventilation systems should continue to operate when the aircraft is delayed on the ground and the doors are closed. If not in operation, ground delays should be kept to less than 30 minutes.
For more information, please contact WHO: Glenn Thomas at thomas@who.int tel +41 79 506 0677 www.who.int
id: WHO aviation
(16/06/06) Investigation of TB cases in Lanarkshire
An investigation into the four cases found at the
Eastercroft House
Care Home
in Caldercruix
is being carried out by the Public Health Department of NHS Lanarkshire, who said "
Three of the four residents with TB, who were frail and had other long-standing health problems, have since died.
TB was certified as the cause of death of two residents and a contributory factor in the death of the third. The fourth resident, who was diagnosed in October 2005, is continuing to respond to treatment in the care home".
Test results in May 2006 showed the cases were linked.
All residents and staff are being screened as a precaution to check there has been no further transmission. The families of staff and residents have been informed of the situation but there is no evidence of any significant risk to the wider public.
In Scotland since 2000, there have been between 350 - 400 cases of Tuberculosis diagnosed each year, a rate of approximately 8 cases per 100,000 population.
In the UK born population, the incidence of TB is higher in those over 70 than in any other age group. This is primarily due to the reactivation of Latent TB infection, where people were infected when TB was more common in this country.
The World Health Organisation estimates that one-third of the world's population - 2 billion people - has Latent TB (often called TB infection as opposed to Active TB). Latent TB cannot be passed on to another individual. Only around 10% of people with Latent TB go on to develop Active TB, usually when illness or old age weakens their immune system.
id: Lanarkshire
(22/05/06) Dr Lee
Jong-wook, Director-General, World Health Organization
It is with great sadness that we heard that Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of the World Health Organization, has died. Dr Lee had been in hospital since Saturday afternoon, where he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain (a subdural haematoma). He remained in intensive care. At 07.43 this morning (22 May 2006) , he was declared dead.
"
The sudden loss of Dr. Lee a leader, colleague and friend of the whole global public health community, is devastating. His inspiring leadership enabled all of us to fulfil our role in improving public health, both globally and for the most affected people. The Global Stop TB Partnership extends our deepest and most sincere condolences to Dr Lee's family."
Dr Marcos A Espinal - Executive Secretary, Stop-TB Partnership
Left - Dr Lee visiting the TB Alert stand at a Rotary conference
id: drlee
(19/05/06) Archbishop Tutu records Radio 4 Appeal for TB Alert
TB Alert is delighted to have been offered an appeal slot on Radio 4. Our appeal will go out on Sunday 6th August at 7.55am and 9.26pm, as well as the following Thursday at 3.27pm. at FM 92.4-94.6 and LW198. We are excited that our Patron, Archbishop Desmond Tutu found time in an incredibly hectic schedule to record the appeal for us today. After broadcast the appeal will also be available to listen again on the radio 4 website - more information will be available nearer the time.
Click on one of these to hear a short message from Archbishop Tutu: lo-res / hi-res
id: radio4
(23/04/06) TB Alert has a Silver Bond Marathon Place for 2007
TB Alert has been awarded one silver bond place for the Flora London Marathon in 2007. We may only receive one place every five years so it is important that we make it count in terms of fundraising. If you think you could raise £10,000 through sponsorship and matched giving, would like to run for TB Alert and would consider running in costume for extra publicity - we want to hear from you! Email our
now!
id: enter an unique id here
(21/04/06) Listen to TB Alert on Radio 4 - talking about the London Marathon
Listen to You and Yours on Radio 4 today and hear TB Alert's fundraiser talk about our Marathon place for 2007 (listen again also available for a limited time).
id: enter an unique id here
(20/04/06) Health Protection Agency Report on Port Health
The report discusses, among other issues, screening for Tuberculosis at point of entry into the UK.
The Conclusions and Recommendations in the Tuberculosis section are;
- Port of arrival systems fail to screen all those individuals who should be offered screening. No consistent information was presented to the review about why this was the case, except that at Gatwick an absence of an X ray machine in one of the terminals was an issue
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It was not possible to document the numbers of cases of infectious TB detected via the current port systems, nor how much earlier all the cases of TB were detected than they would have been through routine NHS systems. However, the port systems only detect about 100 cases of TB a year
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The information systems that pass on information from the Immigration Service to local bodies (the Port Health Forms) to support screening are inefficient and ineffective
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New entrant screening (including that done for asylum seekers) is likely to make only a very limited impact on overall TB control in this country because the reduction in transmission and the benefit to the individuals themselves from early identification of disease at ports is probably very small
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There is little if any evidence to support the continuation of chest X-rays at the port of entry as a screening method
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Most of the responders to this review with an interest or expertise in TB were of the view that the TB screening at the ports should either be stopped or decreased
(24/03/06) International Standards for TB Care & Patient's Charter
The “International Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ISTC),” and the “Patient’s Charter for Tuberculosis Care.” documents have been released on World Stop TB day 2006. These documents have been endorsed by several leading agencies such as the WHO, IUATLD, ATS, KNCV, Stop TB Partnership, and CDC.
Developed by the Tuberculosis Coalition for Technical Assistance (TBCTA) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the ISTC describe a widely accepted level of care that all practitioners, public and private, should seek to achieve in managing patients who have, or are suspected of having, tuberculosis. The Standards are intended to facilitate the effective engagement of all care providers in delivering high-quality care for patients of all ages.
Developed by the World Care Council in tandem with the ISTC, The Patient’s Charter outlines the rights and responsibilities of people with tuberculosis. It empowers people with the disease and their communities through this knowledge. Initiated and developed by patients from around the world, The Charter makes the relationship with healthcare providers a mutually beneficial one.
(23/03/06) TB is an emergency in Europe: WHO Ministerial Forum on TB
WHO/Europe is inviting ministers of health, justice, finance and foreign
affaires from the 52 Member States, representatives from relevant
intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, TB activists, and the
scientific community to advocate for increasing awareness to TB emergency in
Europe and to commit for concrete political and financial engagement to
increase TB control in priority countries of Eastern Europe. The forum will
be held on 16-17 October in Copenhagen.
(23/03/06) TB Alert Welcomes NICE Guidelines on TB
TB Alert, The British Thoracic Society and The British Lung Foundation today welcomed the launch of the NICE Guidelines
on the clinical diagnosis and management of tuberculosis, and measures for its prevention and control.
TB Alert's Chair of Trustees, Paul Sommerfeld, said "TB Alert welcomes the fact that NICE has given the issue of TB serious consideration. It is a major health issue both globally and in the UK. We hope the NHS will allocate the resources required to bring TB numbers in this country down - by applying the NICE guidelines as well as recommendations arising from the Department of Health's own working groups on implementation of the National Action Plan for Stopping Tuberculosis in England."
(23/03/06) MP calls for greater recognition for Sir John
John Barrett MP wants greater recognition of the achievements of the doctor whose Edinburgh-based team found an effective treatment for tuberculosis (TB).
Sir John Crofton, now 93, is credited with helping to save the lives of 10 million people worldwide, yet remains unknown outside medical circles.
He developed a treatment based on the simultaneous use of three antibiotics.
Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, John Barratt, placed a parliamentary motion calling for greater recognition.
TB or consumption was one of the UK's biggest killers. Half of all those infected died, and those who survived were separated from their families for months while they recuperated.
Sir John, who was professor of respiratory diseases at the University of Edinburgh from 1952 to 1977, helped develop a treatment that led directly to a massive decline in cases.
He was knighted in 1977 and still campaigns for the eradication of TB in developing nations.
Sir John, who is TB Alert's honorary president will be celebrating his birthday on Monday 27th March - 94 years young! His birthday celebration comes just a day after the Scottish Smoking Ban will be passed - something for which he has campaigned for a long time. And that's hot on the heels of World TB Day on March 24th. All in all a bumper weekend and everyone at TB Alert wishes sir John a very Happy Birthday!
id: 23-03-06sirjohn
(22/03/06) TB Debate at Westminster
To read the full (17 page) debate click here - otherwise here are our edited highlights....
Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West John Barrett introduced the debate:
"It is a delight to introduce this debate today, as world tuberculosis day is later this week. People throughout the world will be encouraged to think about this devastating disease, which many thought was in the past, but which is raging throughout the world.
We can take a snapshot of the position in, for instance, Africa. Africa has 11 per cent. of the world's population, but it accounts for more than a quarter of the global TB burden. Since 1990, TB rates have doubled in Africa overall and tripled in areas with high levels of HIV infection. In Botswana, more than 70 per cent. of TB patients are also infected with HIV. Those statistics are truly sobering.
Africa may be on the front line of the global fight against TB, but Asia has the highest TB burden in the world, largely due to its massive population. India is home to just under 2 million TB sufferers, and while often we think of TB as a disease of the developing world—today's debate is focused on the developing world—closer to home, 67,000 Europeans have lost their lives to it. "
He was joined by David Taylor (Labour/Co-op MP for North-West Leicestershire), who commented:
"The hon. Gentleman mentions outbreaks and the incidence in Europe. Indeed, TB is starting to emerge in a worrying way in my home city of Leicester. Perhaps he was about to deal with this, but does he agree that in an era of international trade, travel and migration, TB control is not confined to the countries and continents where it is becoming rife? We have a direct interest—not just moral, but social and economic—in driving it back to its position 40 years ago, when we thought we had virtually eradicated it. "
as well as Andrew George (Lib Dem MP for St. Ives) who asked:
"Does he agree that although the media in the west seem to be in a blind panic about avian influenza—which, while not wishing to diminish the deaths, has killed only 90 people—the preventable deaths of 2 million people should grab the attention of the world and of Governments who can make a big impression on this mass killer?"
John Barret pointed out that:
"One problem is that the media are always looking for something new, and TB is not new. It has been around for generations, and many people in this country think of it as something from the past. It is not deemed to be a politically sexy story, but people continue to die. The scale of the problem is massive: 5,000 people die of TB each day. If we were to think that a disaster on the scale of that at the World Trade Centre—about 3,000 people died in that attack—was happening daily, what resources would we be prepared to put into dealing with it?"
Susan Kramer (Lib Dem, Richmond Park) commented:
"An issue that has been touched on but not developed, and is, presumably, the risk that we face most viscerally in the future, is the link between TB and HIV/AIDS. Many people will be aware that that is a growing arena for TB as a disease. We are aware that it affects the developing world powerfully, and that it is beginning to take hold in our communities."
Mark Simmonds (Conservative, Boston and Skegness) added:
"One person per second catches TB. That is a staggering statistic. Also, between 8 million and 10 million people per annum become infected with TB. The problem is not growing in a small way; it is a significant and accelerating disease, and we need to ensure that we tackle it across the international community.
As the hon. Gentleman rightly pointed out, effective treatment is inexpensive. A six-month course costs between $5 and $10, depending on which medical people one talks to. He was absolutely right to highlight the fact that TB is a totally curable disease. We need to ensure—through such debates in the UK Parliament, and in our constituencies—that we highlight the fact that the disease is not historic, but is growing and is more greatly prevalent in all parts of the world than people's perceptions would allow them to believe."
Finally The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Mr. Gareth Thomas ended the debate with a short speech and his final words were:
"I hope that world TB day receives considerable media and parliamentary attention; it certainly needs to. We in the Department for International Development intend to continue scaling up our work on health care services in general and, through that, our response to the fight to tackle tuberculosis. I look forward to working with the hon. Gentleman and other hon. Members to continue the campaign on this issue"
Throughout the debate, the work of TB Alert, as well as our friends from Results (an advocacy organisation) was mentioned, and mention was made of the contribution to the fight against TB of our Honorary President, Sir John Crofton. Sir John was recently awarded the Union medal, which is the highest honour awarded by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (see news story below).
id: 22-03-06debate
(15/03/06) The Lancet - World TB Day issue
Details of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new global strategy to tackle tuberculosis
(TB) are published as part of a special TB Essay Focus in this week’s issue of The Lancet.
There are around 8·8 million new cases of TB per year. DOTS (directly-observed treatment
short-courses)—the current WHO recommended TB control strategy—has contributed to the
successful treatment of nearly 22 million patients worldwide over the last decade. However,
global statistics suggest that DOTS alone is not sufficient to achieve the 2015 targets set by
the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and Stop TB Partnership.
The new strategy therefore builds on, and goes beyond, DOTS, and provides the basis and the
context to the recently launched second Global Plan to Stop TB: 2006–2015. The strategy
has six components, which include addressing the spread of TB and HIV co-infections and
multi-drug resistant TB.
“With a strategy and related plan, the framework to succeed is in place. However, the
financing gap of 30 billion dollars requires substantial increases in domestic and international
commitment,” states Dr Mario Raviglione (Director, Stop TB Department, WHO). “Focussing
on endemic countries, WHO and all Stop TB partners will intensify their efforts to help achieve
the 2015 Partnership’s targets and step towards eliminating this ancient scourge of
humanity,” he adds.
The launch of the strategy in The Lancet is accompanied by a series of short essays written by
experts from around the world and comes just ahead of World TB Day on March 24.
In a Comment to introduce the essays, Professor Alimuddin Zumla (Director, Centre for
Infectious Diseases and International Health, University College London) and Zoe Mullan
(Senior Editor, The Lancet), state:
"The tuberculosis fraternity has unified in stating its
strategy. Now it is up to developing country governments to fully commit resources to
tuberculosis control, and for donors to provide catalytic financial aid. Indeed, the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation has already pledged US$900 million by 2015. European
governments and funding agencies should follow suit."
Essays:
Global epidemiology of tuberculosis,
C Dye Priorities in tuberculosis research,
P Onyebujoh and others Progress towards improved tuberculosis diagnostics
for developing countries,
M D Perkins and others Safety, effectiveness, and outcomes of concomitant
use of highly active antiretroviral therapy with drugs
for tuberculosis in resource-poor settings,
A D Harries and others Tuberculosis drug development pipeline: progress and
hope,
M Spigelman, S Gillespie Progress and hindrances in tuberculosis vaccine
development,
T M Doherty, G Rook Improving tuberculosis control: an interdisciplinary
approach,
C Lienhardt, R Rustomjee Progress of DOTS in global tuberculosis control,
S K Sharma, J J Liu WHO’s new Stop TB Strategy,
M C Raviglione, M W Uplekar The Global Plan to Stop TB: a unique opportunity to
address poverty and the Millenium Development Goals,
S B Squire and others
id: lancet
(21/02/06) We're listening!
In our last newsletter we included a short questionnaire to ask donors and supporters why they supported us, what they thought of the newsletter and other information we provide, and how we could improve. We were delighted with the response.
Read the questionnaire (feel free to print and complete it - your views are welcome at any time)
Read the report on the feedback we have received
so far and our response to it. The report refers to our latest newsletter which is currently in production and will be on our website ond posted to supporters early March.
To those of you who entered our prize draw, we are sorry there could only be one winner. Our congratulations to Janet of Worcester whose questionnaire was first out of the hat, drawn by fundraising volunteer Paul Dawson. Janet told us "I'm not a health professional but I value insights into the medical as well as the social activities of TB Alert....and the medical information gives me something to talk about to my medical friends!" Janet saved her bottle of champagne for Christmas to celebrate with friends.
We were very tempted to cheat and give the prize to the lovely Margaret from Edinburgh who said that if she won the champagne she would like to donate it back to the TB Alert staff to enjoy. However we had promised a fair draw and it was. All our best attempts at telekinesis couldnt make Margaret's questionnaire come out of the hat first!
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(20/02/06) Listen to webcasts from the World Economic Forum
Webcasts of selected sessions from the World Economic Forum and the release of the Global Plan To Stop TB are available online at kaisernetwork.org.
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(09/02/06) Tuberculosis Live Webcast - "Ask the Experts"
On Thursday, February 16 at 2pm ET (that's 9am in the UK).
This program will focus on questions such as:
What are the major components of the recently released Global Plan to Stop TB (2006-2015)? Are advancements for TB treatment and vaccines on the horizon? How has the HIV/AIDS pandemic altered the strategy to eradicate this ancient scourge?
WHEN: Thursday, February 16 at 2:00 p.m. ET (9am in the UK)
WHERE: The program will be webcast LIVE at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/ask/tb/16feb06. After the live program, a podcast, transcript and an archived version of the webcast will be available for viewing at any time.
WHO: Joanne Carter, legislative director, RESULTS Richard Chaisson, M.D., director, Center for TB Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and principle investigator, Consortium to Respond Effectively to the AIDS/TB Epidemic (CREATE) Irene Koek, division chief, Infectious Diseases, Bureau for Global Health, USAID and chair, Coordinating Board, Stop TB Partnership
HOW: The panel of experts will take your phone calls and emails. Send questions ahead of time to ask@kaisernetwork.org or call 1-888-KAISER8 (524-7378) during the live broadcast
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(30/01/06) TB Alert chosen as Lilly UK Charity of the Year
Throughout the course of 2006, employees at Lilly UK will be fundraising across all sites to raise money for TB Alert. A full calendar of events is planned, from raffles to bike rides, from fetes to pantomimes - we’ll bring you an update on activities as and when they occur.
TB Alert are excited to have been chosen as Lilly's charity for 2006, and look forward to getting involved and supporting their employee fundraising efforts.
TB Alert and Lilly have got to know each other over several years
- Lilly UK have sponsored a leaflet for patients about MDR-TB (click to link to leaflet) and were delighted to have been involved in the launch of Lilly's new Capreomycin plant at its factory in Speke, as we support any initiative which helps people in developing countries get better access to effective TB treatment.
For more than 125 years, Eli Lilly and Company has been a global health innovator. In 2003 the Company launched an important public-private partnership to address the expanding global crisis of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The shared goal of all participants in the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership is to save lives by preventing and treating MDR-TB.
The Lilly MDR-TB Partnership is a pioneering initiative led by Lilly that will increase the number of trained medical personnel and drugs available to treat people with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. It was launched with the goal of supporting WHO in treating 20,000 MDR-TB patients annually by the year 2010.
Because of the complexity of MDR-TB treatment, Lilly decided to develop a comprehensive initiative which encompassed: transfer of technology; drug supply at concessionary prices; training tools for health care professionals/training of trainers; involving communities and businesses in improving MDR-TB prevention and treatment adherence; assistance to governments to design sound MDR-TB (DOTS- PLUS) strategies; and, strengthen surveillance systems to understand and handle drug resistance
With the exception of the transfer of technology, the other above components are implemented by Lilly's partners. To develop and monitor all activities, a Lilly MDR-TB Governance Council and 4 working groups have been established. Today Lilly has 13 active partners.
From 2000 to the end of 2005, Lilly will has supplied close to 800,000 vials of Capastat, and nearly 3.7 million capsules of Seromycin (both antibiotics used to treat MDR-TB).
(27/01/06) Launch of the TB Global Action Plan 2006-2015: Actions for Life
The Stop TB Partnership launched its TB Global Action Plan at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday 27 January. The Rt. Hon Gordon Brown MP, Mr Bill Gates and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo presented the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015 to the international business community. Subsidiary press events were held in London, Moscow, Nairobi, Ottawa, Paris and Washington.
The London news conference panel consisted of;
Dr Christopher Dye, Head of TB Monitoring and Evaluation, World Health Organisation
Mr Andrew George MP, Shadow Secretary for International Development, Liberal Democrats
Mr Paul Thorn, Former TB Patient
The Stop TB Partnership was established in 2000 to realise the goal of eliminating tuberculosis as a public health problem. For further information please go to http://www.stoptb.org. UK partners of the Stop TB Partnership include WHO Stop TB Department, www.who.int/tb; RESULTS UK www.results-uk.org; TB Alert www.tbalert.org; and the UK's Department for International Development www.dfid.gov.uk.
The Global Plan is a comprehensive assessment of the action and resources needed to implement the Stop TB strategy, to make an impact on the global TB burden, and to reach the Stop TB Partnership's goals for 2015.
To help achieve the plan’s goals, Bill Gates announced that the Gates Foundation will triple its funding for tuberculosis over the next decade, with a focus on supporting research and development. To date, the foundation has committed more than $300 million for tuberculosis. Today’s pledge will take this total to more than $900 million by 2015.
“This plan makes a compelling case for greater investment in tuberculosis,” said Gates. “We’re willing to triple our funding for tuberculosis, and we urge others to do the same. If we have the chance to save 14 million lives, and a clear plan to make it happen, we have an obligation to act."
Gates emphasized that new tools are urgently needed to fight tuberculosis – the current treatment regimen for tuberculosis takes at least six months to complete, and approximately 300,000 cases of tuberculosis every year are resistant to multiple tuberculosis drugs
Chancellor Brown called for the G8 to formally designate tuberculosis a top priority at its next meeting in July, and urged G8 member countries to pledge immediate new funding to implement the Global Plan.
“I welcome the Gates Foundation’s announcement today. For far too long, world leaders have ignored the global tuberculosis epidemic, even as it causes millions of needless deaths each year,” Chancellor Brown said. “Today’s plan demonstrates that the fight against tuberculosis is one we can win. I hope that the G8 will make fighting tuberculosis a top priority.”
Visit the Global Plan web site to view information on upcoming events, information for the press, and background documents and the Global Plan to Stop TB.
Copies of the Plan can be obtained from 27 January onwards by contacting the Stop TB documentation centre (tbdocs@who.int).
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(26/01/06) UK increases commitment to fighting TB in India by £41.7M
With 1.8 million new TB patients every year - accounting for one fifth of all cases worldwide - India has the greatest number of people infected with the disease in the world and it continues to kill more people there than any other infectious cause of death.
The new funds come in addition to the UK’s recent doubling of its contribution to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, TB & Malaria (GFATM), to £100m per year for 2006 and 2007.
The World Health Organisation and Stop TB Partnership will administer the funds in India.
Urging other donors to similarly increase their support Hilary Benn said:
“More must be done to help reach the poor and underserved areas in India, where more than 1,000 people die from TB every day. Together we can do even more to combat this disease that often drives families into poverty."
This latest DFID funding for India will help procure anti-TB drugs which will directly benefit over four million TB patients. It will also support a five year plan to provide technical support through the WHO to the Government of India’s revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP).
Separately, a new £5m DFID fund for research into health policy and systems that work to the benefit of the poor, often utilising simple solutions, is awarded to the Alliance for Health Policy & Systems Research, a network working under the WHO umbrella. Currently just 5% of research conducted worldwide on health policy and systems focuses on the problems of low and middle income countries and many simple life saving technologies remain inaccessible to poor populations there.
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(24/01/06) TB in Animals and Humans; are we a threat to each other?
Meeting at the RSM London,Tuesday 7 March 2006
There has been a rapid increase in TB infection in Cattle in the UK over the past decade. It is unclear whether this is spread by badgers or some other means. It is also unclear whether this poses any threat to humans who have contact with or who consume cattle products. This meeting is intended to inform all who have concerns in this area and will be of interest in any allied to the medical or veterinary professions.
Pupils at a school in Luton are to be screened for tuberculosis after a 15-year-old tested positive.The girl at Icknield High had been ill for some time before TB was confirmed but is now back at school and no longer infectious, the school said.....more
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The sudden loss of Dr. Lee a leader, colleague and friend of the whole global public health community, is devastating. His inspiring leadership enabled all of us to fulfil our role in improving public health, both globally and for the most affected people. The Global Stop TB Partnership extends our deepest and most sincere condolences to Dr Lee's family."
