New TB treatment offers hope

'This is a critical step forward in tackling the MDR-TB public health crisis.'

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released an announcement that can change lives around the world.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to WHO's website, a new test and treatment for tuberculosis has been created and is currently under review.

The test speeds up the detection of the disease and the new treatment is believed to improve treatment for what is called multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

The treatment is cheaper than the current medications and Dr. Mario Raviglione, the director of WHO's Global TB Programme, explained: "This is a critical step forward in tackling the MDR-TB public health crisis.

"The new WHO recommendations offer hope to hundreds of thousands of MDR-TB patients who can now benefit from a test that quickly identifies eligibility for the shorter regimen, and then complete treatment in half the time and at nearly half the cost."

The new, faster, treatment can be completed within 9-12 months, which holds the potential to save thousands of lives. The current treatment takes 18-24 months and only cures 50 percent of the cases.

The new test can accurately give a positive or negative result within 48 hours, while the current test can take longer than three months.

Here is WHO's list of quick facts about TB drugs and tests:

• Resistance to standard TB drugs exists in most countries worldwide. Drug resistance, fuelled by inadequate treatment, can spread through the air, from person to person, in the same way as drug-susceptible TB.
• Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is caused by TB bacteria that are resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most effective TB drugs. Based on figures from 2014, the latest year for which data are available, WHO estimates that 5% of TB cases are multidrug-resistant. This translates into 480 000 cases and 190 000 deaths each year.
• Extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) is a form of MDR-TB that is also resistant to any fluoroquinolone and any of the second-line anti-TB injectable agents (i.e. amikacin, kanamycin or capreomycin). About 9% of MDR-TB patients develop XDR-TB, which is even more difficult to treat.
• The WHO "End TB Strategy", adopted by all WHO Member States, serves as a blueprint for countries to reduce TB incidence by 80% and TB deaths by 90%, and to eliminate catastrophic costs for TB-affected households by 2030.

Dr. Kevin Weyer, Coordinator of Laboratories, Diagnostics and Drug Resistance, of the WHO Global TB Programme, stated: "We hope that the faster diagnosis and shorter treatment will accelerate the much-needed global MDR-TB response.

"Anticipated cost-savings from the roll out of this regimen could be re-invested in MDR-TB services to enable more patients to be tested and retained on treatment."

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