The World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered up with the European Respiratory Society (ERS) to present a new framework to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in countries that struggle with low levels of the disease.
There are currently 33 countries and territories where there are 100 TB cases for every one million people, WHO reported. The framework includes a "pre-elimination" phase that will work to reduce those numbers down to 10 per million people by the year 2035. The goal is to have the illness completely eliminated by 2050.
The eight key interventions highlighted by the framework include: ensure funding and stewardship for planning and services of high quality; address most vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups; address special needs of migrants; cross-border issues; undertake screening for active TB and latent TB infection in high-risk groups and provide appropriate treatment; manage outbreaks; optimize MDR-TB prevention and care; ensure continued surveillance and [program] monitoring and evaluation; invest in research and new tools; support global TB control," WHO reported.
The countries and territories in question recognize the need to work towards TB elimination and recognize it as a public health concern. TB rates have fallen in many of these countries which could cause policy makers to put it on the back burner and stop working to prevent its reemergence.
Some of the most vulnerable groups are poor homeless individuals, migrants, and members of ethnic minorities as well as people who use drugs or are incarcerated.
"Low TB-burden countries already have the means to drive down TB cases dramatically by 2035," Doctor Hiroki Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General, said. "Universal health coverage, which ensures everyone has access to the health services they need without suffering financial hardship as a result, is the bedrock. The key is to target smart TB interventions towards the people who need them most."
