Breathing in science to eliminate TB
World TB Day 2022
March 23, 2022
In support of World TB Day, March 24, the Forum of International
Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American College of Chest
Physicians (CHEST) is a founding member, calls on the tuberculosis (TB)
community to challenge ourselves to think differently, champion science and
embrace evidence-based innovation if we are to end TB.
We have made great strides toward eliminating TB over the last 100 years.
The progress made to date has only been possible because of our commitment
to research and innovation. While it is important to reflect on our
achievements, we must continue to advance our knowledge through research
and implement it into policy and practice. For the elimination of TB, this
means:
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Prioritizing active identification and treatment of everyone with TB to
prevent transmission of the infectious disease.
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Using the latest technological advances at our disposal—digital
communications, imaging and diagnostic tools.
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Undertaking clinical, public health and operational research to create
knowledge for action.
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Involving communities and motivating them to embrace the concept of
eliminating TB.
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Challenging TB inequity globally—we can no longer accept that people in
low- and middle-income countries are, every day, infected, becoming
sick and dying with TB, while people in high-income countries are
unaware that TB still exists.
With deaths increasing for the first time in more than a decade—1.5 million
deaths in 2020—TB must be treated as an emergency, which is why we call on
world leaders to keep the promises they made at the UN High-Level Meeting
2018 and
#InvestToEndTB.
Despite the limited funding (in particular when compared with COVID-19),
there have been significant TB research triumphs in the past decade, such as:
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Molecular tests make diagnosis possible in less than 2 hours, rather
than 2-4 weeks.
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Treatment of multidrug-resistant TB has been shortened from 2 years of
toxic, injectable agents to 6 months of an all-oral regimen.
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Treatment of TB infection has been cut from 9 months to as short as 1-3
months with safer and better tolerated regimens.
These breakthroughs are a testament to our commitment to science. In order to make the next great breakthrough in TB elimination, we must nurture an environment where evidence-based innovation can flourish. It will be challenging to sustain such an environment given the current hardships we are facing globally, including the millions of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
These times of unrest provide good conditions for TB and other lung diseases to run rampant. We must, however, remain positive and challenge ourselves to think differently, champion science and embrace evidence-based innovation to end TB.
About CHEST
The American College of Chest Physicians® (CHEST) is the global
leader in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases. Its
mission is to champion the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest
diseases through education, communication and research. It serves as an
essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000+
members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary,
critical care and sleep medicine. For information about the American
College of Chest Physicians, visit chestnet.org.