Tuberculosis
Although tuberculosis is preventable and
treatment has been available for the past 60
years, it continues to be a major cause of
illness and death worldwide. About 2.2 billion
people, a third of the world’s population,
are infected with TB. More than 80 percent of
TB cases and deaths are concentrated in 22
developing countries, mostly in Asia and
Africa, designated by the WHO as "high burden"
countries. Each person with active TB disease
will infect on average 10 to 15 other people
over the course of a year unless they receive
treatment, which is available free-of-charge in
almost every country.
Early detection and treatment are proven to be the most effective weapons in fighting TB. Although tuberculosis control programs have been strengthened and expanded world-wide through use of Directly Observed Treatment (DOTS), there is still a critical shortage of technical, financial, and human resources.
WLF supports programs that empower people affected by tuberculosis and mobilize communities against the epidemic, as well as tuberculosis-related education and research.
Early detection and treatment are proven to be the most effective weapons in fighting TB. Although tuberculosis control programs have been strengthened and expanded world-wide through use of Directly Observed Treatment (DOTS), there is still a critical shortage of technical, financial, and human resources.
WLF supports programs that empower people affected by tuberculosis and mobilize communities against the epidemic, as well as tuberculosis-related education and research.
WLF and Tuberculosis by Numbers
- Fifty-one projects involving Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) tuberculosis strategy examined in 18 countries, with the merits of several DOTS approaches identified.
- One state-of-the-art tuberculosis research laboratory built in the Philippines.
- One report published on TB in Roma, i.e. gypsy, communities in central and eastern Europe. (Many members of Europe’s Roma minority are vulnerable to TB disease because they face economic, geographic, socio-economic, and health system-related barriers to obtaining TB diagnosis and completing treatment.)
- Nine training courses in management, finance and logistics conducted on tuberculosis and lung health in Afghanistan, Myanmar and India.
Spotlight: Tuberculosis
Dr. Thelma Tupasi, one of the world's foremost infectious disease experts, has been a central force in TB control in the Philippines for the past 40 years, recently leading implementation of DOTS-Plus treatment for patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR‑TB)."Tuberculosis management is not easy, and effective program management is our greatest challenge today," says Dr. Tupasi. "There is a critical shortage of technical, financial, and human resources to do the basics, but our biggest advantage is that we can show governments the economic impact of TB control. A relatively small investment in TB control programs reduces long-term health care costs and improves the health and productivity of the workforce."
Every dollar spent on TB control returns 10 to 20 times that amount in economic benefits.
Dr. Tupasi's oversaw the opening of the first International Tuberculosis Center in Asia to combat MDR-TB. The Center provides treatment, research, training, and a steady supply of anti-TB medications in the Philippines and throughout Asia.
"The Tropical Disease Foundation is grateful to World Lung Foundation and other donors who have made it possible for us to increase our capacity," says Dr. Tupasi. "Their funding package enabled us to leverage a land donation to build and equip this new center. Now, we can provide better treatment to MDR‑TB patients, as well as share information and train people from across Asia to start self-sustaining programs in their own countries."
Dr. Tupasi is confident about the prospects for tuberculosis control in the Philippines and globally. "However, it takes political commitment to provide the necessary budgetary and human resources to implement well-managed tuberculosis control programs," she says. "Because most TB patients are poor, they need access to treatment that is free of charge and locally accessible. Curing the disease is an important public health intervention that benefits patients and their families, as well as their communities."