[afro-nets] TB-Development of Simple, Rapid Diagnostic Tools Key

[Leela McCullough <leela@healthnet.org>]

TB-Development of Simple, Rapid Diagnostic Tools Key
----------------------------------------------------

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

24 March, 2005

Without a simple, rapid test for detecting tuberculosis (TB),
care providers in developing countries will continue to miss
about half of all the people who need tuberculosis treatment.
Efforts to control TB globally will be undermined, said the
medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

I am sick and tired of watching TB kill my patients. It often
feels as though I practice medicine with my hands tied behind my
back. Since I have to use a 19th-century diagnostic tool that is
wrong more times than not, it is like being blindfolded as well,
said Dr. Martha Bedelu, an MSF physician working in South Af-
rica.

Diagnosing TB in developing countries still relies on sputum mi-
croscopy, a diagnostic method that was developed 123 years ago.
It only detects TB bacilli in 45-60% of all people who have TB,
and is even less effective for those who have both HIV and TB -
over 30% of the nearly 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS
globally. In the era of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, this is unten-
able: TB is the number one killer of people with HIV/AIDS.
What's more, the test doesn't work at all in children, said Dr.
Bedelu.

Nearly nine million people develop TB disease every year, and
the vast majority of them live in developing countries, where
99% of all TB deaths occur and where 90% of all people living
with HIV/AIDS live. Yet most existing efforts to develop more
effective TB tests are technology-driven and focus on the more
lucrative Western markets.

MSF is committed to participating in the development of new
tests by assessing the feasibility of new technology in our
field projects. But we fear that current product development is
not going to result in an easy-to-use rapid method of diagnosing
TB in all patients, said Dr. Francine Matthys, TB advisor for
MSF's Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines. We need some-
thing similar to what our teams now use for
<http://eu.xmts.net/76047>malaria: a simple test which yields
results almost instantly and can be used by any laboratory tech-
nician, nurse or health workers even when far away from a labo-
ratory.

MSF is well aware of the challenges of TB diagnosis and has been
working with experts to see how the development of diagnostic
tests adapted to the needs of patients and health personnel in
developing countries could be accelerated.

We need a lot more investment and interest in basic science that
looks at completely new ways of diagnosing TB, said Dr. Matthys.
Research and product development intended to simplify and reduce
the cost of existing diagnostic techniques and other more rapid,
simple, sensitive and specific methods must be supported.

MSF is upgrading the laboratory facilities it uses by enhanced
microscopy, and improving diagnostic and follow-up of treatment
with culture, X-rays, drug sensitivity testing and training of
local staff. But the longer it takes to introduce a truly useful
and simple tool for detecting TB, the bigger the number of peo-
ple dying of TB without ever having had a chance to know what
killed them, Dr. Francine Matthys said.

MSF treats TB patients in nearly 50 projects in 24 countries
worldwide. 16,500 TB patients were admitted in MSF projects in
2004 and many more were diagnosed by MSF and referred to na-
tional TB programs. MSF advocates for improved TB care and more
research and development into better TB vaccines, diagnostic
tests, and treatments.

Read MSF's report: Running Out of Breath: TB Care in the 21st
Century

TB Fact Sheet:
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/2005/tb_factsheet_2005.pdf

SPECIAL EVENTS:

World TB Day March in New York City

- Thursday, March 24, 12 noon, Union Square Park South Doctors
Without Borders members dressed in white lab coats and wearing
the protective masks required for those treating TB will walk
through the city handing out 5000 white masks stamped with the
message Treat TB to symbolize the 5000 people who die of TB each
day around the world. Call Kris Torgeson at +1-212-655-3764 or
+1-917-913-0183 for more details.

Don't Tell Me TB is Under Control -Tuesday, March 29, 7 pm, The
New School, NY

A panel discussion about the global TB crisis with MSF Interna-
tional President Dr. Rowan Gillies and Dr. Martha Bedelu, a phy-
sician working with MSF in South Africa.

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org


--
Leela McCullough, Ed.D.
Director of Information Services

SATELLIFE
30 California Street, Watertown, MA 02472, USA
Tel: +1-617-926-9400 Fax: +1-617-926-1212
mailto:leela@healthnet.org
http://www.healthnet.org