The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease launched a new free online course that provides all the information needed for the programmatic and clinical management of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) from the epidemiology and diagnosis of DR-TB to the clinical presentation, treatment, infection control and reporting. The course is specifically designed for clinical officers, nurses, paramedics and other health workers.

As we mark this year’s World AIDS Day and focus on ending inequalities, we need to remember that TB is a leading cause of death among people with HIV and the second most common cause of death from an infectious disease, after COVID-19. TB is driven by poverty and thrives on inequity, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable and marginalized. The COVID-19 pandemic is further fuelling inequality by driving up poverty and malnutrition, both of which are major risk factors for TB. Access to essential services for TB has also been severely hampered due to COVID-19 related restrictions and the redirection of resources to the COVID-19 response.

Trend expected to continue without urgent investments in TB services to recover from impact of COVID-19.

Together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Stop TB Partnership has released a practical guide on the Implementation of Simultaneous Diagnostic Testing for COVID-19 and TB in High TB Burden Countries.

Treatment Action Group (TAG) launches newly available TB chapters of its 2021 Pipeline Report.

RESIST-TB released its November 2021 newsletter with the latest research publications on drug-resistant TB.

On 13 December 2021, the TB Europe Coalition will conduct an interactive webinar on parliamentary engagement and EU advocacy. TB survivors/patients and people living with HIV are particularly encouraged to participate.

Adding additional screening methods in combination with standard testing would increase diagnostic accuracy for tuberculosis infection among patients living with HIV.

National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination Program (NTLEP) has disclosed that Malawi so far is doing well in the fight against TB.