New York Times: The World Needs a Urine Test for TB. But It’s Already Here.
“For at least a decade, one of the most urgent needs in public health was a urine dipstick that could quickly diagnose tuberculosis in the most vulnerable population: those with advanced HIV. Now that test exists. It’s inexpensive and has been recommended by the World Health Organization since 2015. But it is hardly used in the countries that most need it. … Part of the problem, [Sharonann Lynch, a policy adviser at the medical charity Doctors Without Borders,] says, is that the WHO’s recommendation for the test is too limited. … ‘It’s a test with suboptimal accuracy,’ said Christopher Gilpin, senior scientist at the WHO’s Global TB Program. ‘This is probably part of the limited uptake.’ Another reason, he said, is that few clinics in resource-poor regions have the equipment needed to determine CD4 counts. Advocacy groups take issue with both points, saying the WHO is making perfect the enemy of good…” (Mandavilli, 12/17).