‘More Pragmatic’ Steps Needed To Reduce TB Risks Among International Travelers

Huffington Post: In The Age Of Travel, Tuberculosis Knows No Borders
Sarabjit Chadha, project director at The Union South East Asia; Jamie Tonsing, director at The Union South East Asia; and Paula Fujiwara, scientific director at The Union France

“…The risk of [tuberculosis (TB)] transmission during air travel is expected to rise as the number of international passengers, currently 3.3 billion annually, is projected to double by 2034 according to the International Air Transport Association. … [W]e need more pragmatic approaches to reducing the TB risks posed by international travel. … We need intensive efforts to create awareness about drug-resistant TB among both the public and health care providers, so people are diagnosed early. We also need better communication between health care providers and patients, to help them reduce the risk of transmitting the infection. Most importantly, we need to do a better job of preventing drug resistance from emerging in the first place. … No individual country can face down drug-resistant TB on its own. Both wealthy and developing countries need to support each other in this effort, because TB knows no borders” (7/14).

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