IT WILL be many years before SA reaches the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of curing 85% of newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) cases if measures to fight the epidemic are not stepped up, Margo Uys, co-chairwoman of the third South African TB Conference, said on Friday.

International scientists have revealed a new tuberculosis regimen compatible with HIV/Aids medication which is set to reduce the length of treatment of the disease to just four months.

Six members of the G20 are among the 22 countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa.

Immune Network Ltd. (IMMFF), announces the completion of a Phase II trial of a once-daily M. vaccae pill (V7) conducted by Immunitor in Ukraine. The imm02 study was aimed to seek whether oral formulation of inactivated whole cell mycobacteria can shorten TB treatment duration.

The 2013 health funding bill passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee brings good news for tuberculosis research advocates, keeping funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of TB Elimination at its current $140.298 million. The Obama administration had recommended a $4.6 million cut. While about 80 percent of the CDC’s TB division funding goes to domestic programs, an estimated $14 million to $16 million goes to the Tuberculosis Trials Consortium, which works in the United States and globally to test tuberculosis treatments, including shorter term regimens and answers to multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant strains of infection.

Heavy drinkers are three times more likely to have tuberculosis than those who don't drink heavily. They are also far less likely to complete their TB treatment.

14 June 2012 – Karachi, Pakistan – Mobile phones and financial incentives helped a network of private clinics serving poor communities in Karachi find twice as many people with tuberculosis (TB) in 2011 compared to the previous year.

TB activists have a lot on their plates - whether it’s affordable access to the latest tuberculosis (TB) diagnostics, or pushing for more paediatric formulations. IRIN/PlusNews takes a look at the top three issues.

South Africa’s move to decentralize the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) has given rise to a crop of nurses equipped not only to initiate patients on HIV treatment, but also to prescribe for and monitor drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) patients. However, experts and government officials say the need for specialist physicians and hospitals will continue, based on research presented at the South African TB conference in the port city of Durban.

Xpert, once introduced and widely scaled-up, is expected to dramatically reduce the diagnostic gaps for tuberculosis, in particular in its multi-drug resistant form, or associated with an HIV infection.