WHO Worried Over World's Top Infectious Killer TB

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the
world's most infectious killer, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).
March 24 is World TB Day. In 2018 10 mn people fell sick of TB and 1.5 mn died.
COVID-19 is highlighting just how vulnerable people with lung diseases and
weakened immune systems can be,“ said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO
Director-General. “The world committed to end TB by 2030; improving prevention
is key to making this happen. Millions of people need to be able to take TB
preventive treatment to stop the onset of disease, avert suffering and save
lives".
TB preventive treatment has to be
intensified and global leaders have committed to giving treatment to 24 million
contacts of people with active TB and 6 mn people living with HIV by 2022. To
date only a fraction of that target has been reached, with countries putting
less than 430,000 contacts and 1.8 million people on TB preventive treatment in
2018. TB also puts HIV patients at
increased chances of mortality.
WHO recommendations
-Scale -up TB preventive
treatment among populations at highest risk including household contacts of TB
patients, people living with HIV and other people at risk with lowered”
immunity or living in crowded settings.
-integration of TB preventive
treatment services into ongoing case finding efforts for active TB. All
household contacts of TB patients and people living with HIV are recommended to
be screened for active TB. If active TB is ruled out, they should be initiated
on TB preventive treatment.
-Either a tuberculin skin test or
interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) be used to test for TB infection. Both
tests are helpful to find people more likely to benefit from TB preventive
treatment but should not become a barrier to scale-up access. Testing for TB
infection is not required before starting TB preventive treatment in people
living with HIV, and children under 5 years who are contacts of people with
active TB.
-New shorter options for
preventive treatment in addition to the widely used 6 months of daily
isoniazid. The shorter options that are now recommended range from a 1-month
daily regimen of rifapentine plus isoniazid to 3 months weekly rifapentine plus
isoniazid, 3 months daily rifampicin plus isoniazid, or 4 months of daily
rifampicin alone.
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