ACTION has released its second brief on children and TB, issuing recommendations for the international community and affected countries to combat this neglected epidemic.

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Diabetes Foundation in association with the Indian government conducted a pilot project this year screening more than 8,000 tuberculosis patients for diabetes, and over 10,000 diabetes patients per quarter for TB. Fasting blood glucose tests for diabetes measured in TB patients at 7 tertiary hospitals and over 60 primary health care centres across the country showed that 13% of them had high blood sugar levels indicating diabetes, with higher rates in the south than in the north. Interim data from the project was presented to India's Revised National TB Control Programme in September 2012 and resulted in a national policy decision to scale up testing of all TB patients for diabetes in the country.

(Hara Mihalea is a noted Public Health and Tuberculosis Consultant. She is a Greek American and trained as a specialist on adolescent reproductive health. She has worked on all aspects of public health and was one of first groups of people in 1985 that were trained as HIV counsellors at CDC. Then in 1995 she moved to Thailand and has since dedicated her life solely to the cause of TB prevention, care and control. This is based on an interview she granted to CNS onsite at the 43rd Union World Conference on Lung Health in Kula Lumpur.)

The European Union’s global plan for health, development cooperation includes the commitment that high-quality medicines and care in the developing world be available without restrictions. As such, despite its growing impact and strong investment in product R&D, the plan seemingly lacks adequate coherence, innovative financing, and coordination, collaboration with concerned parties. Filling these gaps would be a matter of priority and a way for the EU to achieve indisputable field leadership.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has a worse prognosis if patients are resistant to fluoroquinolones, new analysis suggests.

NEW DELHI: Shammo Khan walks into a dusty courtyard that reeks of garbage, searching for the fingerprint of a man exhausted by HIV, drug withdrawal and the tuberculosis lesions hijacking his lungs.

Researchers in the Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry at the Hopkins School of Medicine have discovered the structure of a protein integral to the drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections. This information can provide essential insight into drug design that would inhibit the function of this protein and hopefully increase treatment successes.

Lophius Biosciences, a leader in the field of novel T cell based diagnostic test systems, reported today about its first successfully concluded clinical Proof of Principle study with respect to detection of active tuberculosis (TB) using its novel T-Track® TB test which is based on Lophius Biosciences proprietary Reverse T Cell Technology (RT Technology).

Increase of Multi- drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases and access to the right drugs in Nigeria currently constitutes a major source of worry, Chinyere Okoye writes

November could be dubbed the “lung health month” this year, with advocates organising World Pneumonia Day on 12 November, World chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Day on 14 November and the whole month designated by some groups as Lung Cancer Awareness month.  Yet people are largely unaware of their lung health, according to Dr Nils E Billo, Executive Director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union). “Lung health is as central to health as blood pressure or weight, but most people are unaware of their lungs until something goes wrong”.