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On the move against tuberculosis
Transforming
the fight towards elimination
For World TB Day 2011 we enter the second
year of a two-year campaign, On the move against
tuberculosis whose goal is to inspire
innovation in TB research and care.
This year's campaign challenges us to
look at the fight against TB in an entirely new way: that
every step we take should be a step towards TB elimination.
The campaign is inspired by the ambitious
new objectives and targets of the Global Plan to Stop TB
2011-2015: Transforming the Fight-Towards
Elimination of Tuberculosis, which was launched by the
Stop TB Partnership in October 2010. This new plan, for the
first time, identifies all the research gaps that need to be
filled to bring rapid TB tests, faster treatment regimens
and a fully effective vaccine to market. It also shows
public health programmes how to drive universal access to TB
care, including how to modernize diagnostic laboratories and
adopt revolutionary TB tests that have recently become
available.
KEY MESSAGES
It's time to break the barriers to a
world free of TB.
TB programmes around the world save
millions of lives every year, but we need to move faster. If
we fail to step up action today, about 40 million people
will become ill with TB and at least 8 million will die
unnecessarily between now and 2015. TB is an ancient
disease, but today it is curable. In the 21st
century, no one should die from TB.
It's time for an ambitious new
research agenda.
Recent research has brought us new rapid
diagnostics, which are coming to market this year. More
research will take us to the next critical step: a simple
point-of-care test that can be used in any basic health care
setting and requires little technical knowledge. New drugs
for MDR-TB are on the horizon. A stronger investment will
make them available as soon as possible. We will not
eliminate TB without a vaccine that is safe and effective in
preventing the disease in people of all ages, but vaccine
research is vastly underfunded. Funders need to step up
their contribution to TB research today to achieve zero TB
deaths tomorrow.
It's time for public health programmes
to reach all TB patients.
A third of people with TB are not reached
with accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. Civil society,
all health care providers--including those in the private
sector--and businesses need to team up to drive universal
access to TB care. It is a goal that also requires
modernizing laboratories, ensuring reliable access to
high-quality drugs and taking action to mobilize additional
resources.
It's time for ambitious new goals on
MDR-TB treatment.
We know what is needed to scale up MDR-TB
treatment: strong commitment by governments, a reliable
supply of high-quality drugs, an engaged health workforce
and engaged communities. We can reach the goals of
the Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015 and push beyond them.
By 2015, all people with MDR-TB should receive accurate
diagnosis and effective treatment.
It's time to move rapidly towards zero
deaths from TB/HIV.
Our goals are clear. By 2015, half as
many people should die from HIV-associated TB.100% of TB
patients should be tested for HIV and 100% of people in HIV
care services should be screened for TB. All people living
with HIV should be receiving preventive treatment or anti-TB
drugs as appropriate. 2011 is the time for a massive
scale-up to realize universal access to TB/HIV services.
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