Out of step: deadly implementation gaps in the TB response

This is a pivotal time in the fight against tuberculosis (TB), a curable disease that continues to kill more than a million people a year. Amid an emerging drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) crisis, new tools are emerging that offer the potential to strengthen and accelerate the global TB response.

 

How quickly and effectively these will be leveraged to impact the overall TB response is largely dependent upon three factors: effective policies at the national level; full implementation of current WHO guidelines; and access to new drugs and diagnostics.

 

For this report, MSF surveyed TB and DR-TB policies and practices in eight countries with high TB burdens, representing a range of epidemiological, economic, geographic and demographic profiles: Brazil, India, Kenya, Myanmar, Russian Federation, South Africa, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. We examined critical indicators for diagnosis, treatment and accessibility of key medicines, drug procurement and funding.