A new study is released reviewing initiatives to encourage research and development (R&D) for diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases.

Abstract (provisional)

Background

The prevalence of drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) in Ethiopia in general, and Jimma area in particular, is not well documented. We conducted a study at Jimma University specialized hospital in southwest Ethiopia among new cases of smear positive TB patients to determine the pattern of resistance to first-line drugs.

A study published just before Christmas in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal on "totally-drug-resistant-tuberculosis" in India led to several news reports on multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) but also extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) in different states. The government in response has decided to enforce an old public health law under which TB is a notifiable disease.

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through its Grand Challenges Explorations initiative, today announced over 100 new grants of US$100,000 each to support innovative global health and development proposals that have the potential to unlock transformative, life-saving solutions in the developing world. Additionally, the Gates Foundation announced additional funding of up to US$1 million each for six existing Grand Challenges Explorations projects to enable grantees to continue to advance their ideas towards global impact.

Rockville, MD & Seattle, WA, USA (May 9, 2012) – Aeras and the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announce today a new agreement to conduct joint development activities with respect to IDRI’s novel tuberculosis vaccine candidate. This collaboration reflects the missions of the two non-profit product development partnerships to use cutting-edge science to develop products that address critical diseases of underserved populations around the world, including tuberculosis.

U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Terence McCulley on Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria, launched a five-year, $224 million USAID program, titled Strengthening Integrated Delivery of HIV/AIDS Services (SIDHAS), that aims to "increas[e] access to high-quality comprehensive HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention, treatment, care and related services through improved efficiencies in service delivery," the Daily Trust reports (Odeyemi/Odafor, 5/8). 

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria "expects to have an additional $1.6 billion to fund projects in 2012-2014, [the fund's General Manager Gabriel Jaramillo] said on Wednesday, a turnaround from a funding freeze last year," Reuters reports (Miles, 5/9). "The new funds are a result of 'strategic decisions made by the Board, freeing up funds that can be invested in countries where there is the most pressing demand,' a statement by the fund said," according to PlusNews (5/10). "The money includes funds from new donors, from traditional donors who are advancing their payments or increasing contributions and from some donors, such as China, that have offered to support projects in their own country to free up cash for more pressing needs elsewhere, Jaramillo said," Reuters notes (5/9). "This forecast is better than expected, and it comes from the fantastic response we are getting to our transformation," Jaramillo said, adding, "But we need more to get the job done. Countries that implement our grants are saving more and more people, but demand for services is still enormous," according to the statement (5/9).

Two Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis rifabutin resistance assays in South Africans starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) would be highly cost-effective, according to a cost-benefit modeling analysis using a hypothetical South African population.

HIV & AIDS treatment in practice (HATIP) is a regular email newsletter for healthcare workers and community-based organisations on HIV treatment in resource-limited settings.

In order to reduce HIV and TB in African prisons, African governments and international health donors should fund criminal justice reforms, experts from Human Rights Watch say in this week's PLoS Medicine.