National and international MDR-TB courses equipping TB doctors with the latest and best practices were held in Bolivia, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador, Mozambique, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa and Viet Nam in 2017.
The challenges of MDR-TB are well known, but I must underline that, for the moment, we have an extraordinary tool with the short treatment regimen. The MDR-TB community must be aware of its potential.
One such course entitled ‘XIV International Course of Clinical and Operational Management of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis’ was held in Peru and attracted nearly 25 participants from healthcare management, clinical and governmental backgrounds, representing countries from across the Latin America region, including Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Brazil.
Participants on the course received training in new advances in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of MDR and XDR-TB in Latin America and the Caribbean. Attendees were also updated on the recommendations of the new WHO MDR-TB shortened treatment regimen.
Membership News
TB AND PRISONS WORKING GROUP
Developed a compendium titled ‘Good practices in prevention and care of tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis in prisons’ with 31 examples from 15 countries.
TB AND MENTAL HEALTH WORKING GROUP
Published a new chapter in the WHO Companion Handbook for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) titled ‘Addressing mental health in the management of DR-TB’. The group also hosted a webinar on ‘TB and mental disorders: challenges and opportunities’ and published an article in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease on World Health Day on ‘Addressing the TB-depression syndemic to end the TB epidemic‘.