Lancet Pieces Discuss Developments In TB Diagnostics, Treatments, Policies

The Lancet: Unite to end tuberculosis
Editorial Board

“March 24 marks World TB Day. This year, the theme is ‘Unite to end tuberculosis.’ WHO calls on governments, civil society, and the private sector to unite to end the tuberculosis epidemic — a much-needed approach to tackle this deadliest of diseases. … Today’s Lancet offers an up-to-date overview of the latest developments in tuberculosis diagnostics, treatments, and policies. … A united approach is indeed required to deliver on the promise to end tuberculosis. A convergence between infectious diseases and NCDs — on the basis of their increasingly shared risk factors — could enable a renaissance not only in tuberculosis research but also in the energy and consistency of tuberculosis prevention and treatment programs” (3/19).

The Lancet: Why are people living with HIV still dying of tuberculosis?
Peter Godfrey-Faussettemail, senior science adviser at UNAIDS, professor of infectious and tropical diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and chair of the Data Safety Monitoring Board for the ANRS STATIS trial; and Helen Ayles, research director at the Zambia AIDS Related Tuberculosis Project (ZAMBART) and senior lecturer at LSHTM

“…[S]tudies highlight the ongoing tragedy of deaths associated with late presentation with advanced HIV disease. The solution is conceptually easy, has widespread political support, and has been advocated for many years, but clearly remains a challenge in many communities. We should remove the social, financial, and health and laboratory system barriers that prevent earlier diagnosis of HIV; we should offer antiretroviral therapy to all people with HIV long before their CD4 cell counts fall to the levels seen in the participants in these studies; and, as [the REMEMBER study published in the current Lancet] reminds us, we should screen all HIV-positive individuals for tuberculosis, with the best tools that we have available and, where there is no strong suspicion of tuberculosis, we should offer individuals isoniazid preventive therapy” (3/19).

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