Global epidemiology of tuberculosis - WHO launches new stop TB
strategy - 2006 Report
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Global tuberculosis control - surveillance, planning, financing
WHO Report 2006 WHO/HTM/TB/2006.362 March 22, 2006
Global epidemiology of tuberculosis
Christopher Dye
Tuberculosis and Malaria, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland
The Lancet, 367, Number 9514, 18 March 2006 - 367:938-940 �
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68384-
Website:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673606683840/fulltext
(Free registration required)
Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death from a curable infec-
tious disease.[1] On the basis of results of surveys of the
prevalence of infection and disease, assessments of the effec-
tiveness of surveillance systems, and death registrations, there
were an estimated 8�9 million new cases of tuberculosis in 2004,
fewer than half of which were reported to public-health authori-
ties and WHO. About 3�9 million cases were sputum-smear posi-
tive, the most infectious form of the disease.[2�4] The WHO Af-
rican region has the highest estimated incidence rate (356 per
100000 population per year), but the majority of patients with
tuberculosis live in the most populous countries of Asia; Bang-
ladesh, China, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan together account
for half (48%) the new cases that arise every year. About 80% of
individuals newly diagnosed with the disease every year live in
the 22 most populous countries.
WHO launches new stop TB strategy to fight the global tuberculo-
sis epidemic
DOTS strengthened by a six-point strategy to achieve the 2015
TB-related Millennium Development Goal
17 MARCH 2006 | LONDON/GENEVA -- A new strategy to fight one of
the world�s leading killers � tuberculosis (TB) � was launched
today by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Website: http://www.who.int/tb/en/
The new �Stop TB Strategy� addresses the current challenges fac-
ing countries in responding to TB � how to continue scaling-up
TB control activities while also addressing the spread of TB and
HIV coinfection and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Both
TB/HIV, especially in Africa, and MDR-TB, particularly in east-
ern Europe, are seriously hampering global control efforts to
reduce the 1.7 million deaths caused by TB every year.
The Stop TB Strategy, published in the 17 March issue of the
Lancet medical journal, was developed during a consultation
process involving international health partners over a two-year
period. Its six components are:
1. Pursuing high-quality DOTS expansion and enhancement. Making
high-quality services widely available and accessible to all
those who need them, including the poorest and most vulnerable,
requires DOTS expansion to even the remotest areas.
2. Addressing TB/HIV, MDR-TB and other challenges. Addressing
TB/HIV, MDR-TB and other challenges requires much greater action
and input than DOTS implementation and is essential to achieving
the targets set for 2015, including the United Nations Millen-
nium Development Goal relating to TB (Goal 6; Target 8).
3. Contributing to health system strengthening. National TB con-
trol programmes must contribute to overall strategies to advance
financing, planning, management, information and supply systems
and innovative service delivery scale-up.
4. Engaging all care providers. TB patients seek care from a
wide array of public, private, corporate and voluntary health-
care providers. To be able to reach all patients and ensure that
they receive high-quality care, all types of health-care provid-
ers are to be engaged.
5. Empowering people with TB, and communities. Community TB care
projects have shown how people and communities can undertake
some essential TB control tasks. These networks can mobilize
civil societies and also ensure political support and long-term
sustainability for TB control programmes.
6. Enabling and promoting research. While current tools can con-
trol TB, improved practices and elimination will depend on new
diagnostics, drugs and vaccines.