In a world where most regions are seeing steady or falling case rates of tuberculosis (TB), Africa remains the exception. Public health professionals hope to change that.
Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last month, the global Stop TB Partnership, a network of international organizations, countries, donors, and others, unveiled its “Road Map” to halt Africa’s surging TB epidemic (http://www.stoptb.org). The disease, in combination with HIV, is overwhelming many health services on the continent.
Incidence rates of TB have tripled since 1990 in 21 African countries with high levels of HIV, according to the World Health Organization. Of the 15 counties in the world with the highest TB rates, 13 are in Africa. An estimated 2.4 million Africans become infected and 540 000 die annually from the disease. The economic toll from TB is also devastating, with an estimated annual lose of between 4% and 7% in gross domestic product in high-burden countries, according to the Partnership.
To reverse the trend and loss of life in Africa, the Stop TB Partnership reported that $1.1 billion will be needed over the next 2 years to strengthen TB programs and scale up measures to address HIV-associated TB.
“The challenge that TB and TB-HIV pose to African countries is enormous, and we need enormous resources in terms of funding, drugs, and technical assistance to address it effectively,” said Francis Omaswa, director-general of health in Uganda and a Stop TB board member. “But it is equally vital that governments show leadership and commitment in order to convert these resources into effective TB treatment for the millions of African citizens who need it.”
The main elements of the road map are
Establishment of an African Stop TB Partnership to bring TB into the agendas of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and strengthen health systems
Rapid support to improve quality of TB diagnosis and treatment
Scale-up of interventions to ensure that HIV-infected individuals are screened and treated for TB and HIV-infected TB patients are among the candidates for antiretroviral therapy
Involvement of nongovernmental organizations, clinicians, and communities to expand access to TB diagnosis and treatment
Large-scale communication campaigns to mobilize communities, dispel stigma, and increase awareness that TB treatment saves lives and can reverse the epidemic.
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
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