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TB News:

>    The countries worst hit by the worldwide TB epidemic urgently need
>    extra help if they are to meet ambitious global targets set for the
>    year 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
>    Experts working with WHO estimate that the total cost for TB control
>    worldwide is $1.2 billion every year. Three-quarters of that total is
>    already covered by countries, donors and other sources. The remaining
>    $300 million each year is urgently needed if the targets are to be met
>    by 2005.
>    WHO's World Health Assembly has set global targets of detecting 70% of
>    TB patients and successfully curing 85% of these patients by 2005.
>    "This is a race against time," said Dr. J.W. Lee, director of WHO's
>    STOP TB Department in Geneva. "Poor control practices in many
>    countries and the TB/HIV coepidemic mean that urgent action needs to
>    be taken to control TB."
>    "This funding gap is clearly identified and affordable," he added. "If
>    we are to meet these targets, we must act now."
>    According to WHO, the 22 countries worst hit by TB are: Afghanistan,
>    Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
>    Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru,
>    the Philippines, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Tanzania,
>    Thailand, Uganda, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.
>    This article was prepared by TB &  Outbreaks Week editors from staff
>    and other reports.
>    http://www.NewsRx.net

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The Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis

The Stop TB Partnership has announced the publication of the 
Global Plan to Stop TB. The document describes the action 
and resources needed over the next five years to expand, 
adapt and improve directly-observed treatment, short-course 
(DOTS) - meeting the 2005 global targets to Stop TB, and setting 
the world on the road to the elimination of TB. Nine billion 
dollars is needed to fulfill the objectives of the Plan, and 
with a gap of nearly four billion dollars, much work is 
needed to mobilise more resources.

The Global Plan has been prepared over the last two years by 
a team from Partners in Health and the Stop TB Partnership 
secretariat, with funding from the Soros Foundation and USAID. 
It incorporates contributions from over 150 writers around the 
world, and the backing of the WHO, the World Bank and 
other partners.

http://www.stoptb.org
Further information:
Stop TB Partnership, c/o WHO/CDS, 20 Avenue Appia, 
CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
 Email: stoptb at who.int

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Keeping an eye on costs - community health workers monitor TB treatment

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that only 
32 per cent of the world's population has access to DOTS - 
a TB treatment strategy that requires health workers to watch 
patients taking their drugs. How can policy-makers improve 
the availability of DOTS? Community health workers may provide 
a cost-effective solution.

http://www.id21.org/health/h4ai1g1.html
Email request: GET http://www.id21.org/getweb/h4ai1g1.html
 or swakai at m.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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Drug-resistant tuberculosis: can we save money AND save lives?

The spread of drug-resistant disease is one of the biggest challenges 
in international health. It can cost up to one million dollars
to treat a patient with drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in the 
United States. But what is the cheapest and most effective way to
treat the disease? Can treatment strategies used in industrialised 
nations be applied in developing countries?

http://www.id21.org/health/h4rs1g1.html
Email request: GET http://www.id21.org/health/h4rs1g1.html
or  richard.smith at uea.ac.uk

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