Our work in drug-resistant TB
The Union advocates for increased research and development, and conducts clinical trials to reduce treatment time and improve outcomes for patients in countries with the highest burdens of disease.
The Union also provides practical and experience-based support to countries implementing care for people with DR-TB. Our expertise is based on our extensive research with partners supporting the nine-month regimen, including partnering on the first randomised control trial into a new regimen for multidrug-resistant TB (TREAT TB).
With the new World Health Organization guidelines focusing on shorter, all oral, regimens for MDR-TB, The Union continues to support countries to implement the latest evidence-based treatments.
TREAT TB
Read more about TREAT TB (Technology, Research, Education and Technical Assistance for Tuberculosis), an ambitious initiative that was launched by The Union, seeking to contribute new knowledge regarding shorter, more tolerable treatment regimens for MDR-TB.
OTHER AREAS OF OUR WORK IN TUBERCULOSIS
You might also be interested in our work on child and adolescent TB and TB-HIV, TB-diabetes and co-morbidities.
The Union used an operational research approach to test a shortened treatment regimen for multidrug-resistant TB. The study first demonstrated a greater than 80% success rate in Bangladesh, Cameroon and Niger and The Union continued to work to develop and implement shorter more effective regimens for the treatment of MDR-TB.
Learn more
Understand the issues with our fact sheets
DR-TB Union news
The war in Ukraine and potential consequences for the TB epidemic in Europe
Correspondence in a forthcoming issue of IJTLD examines the impact of the war in Ukraine on healthcare systems in the area, including both Eastern and non-Eastern European countries and future management of TBI and TB disease. The preprint is free to read.
Building community volunteer capacity in Myanmar
This week, The Union conducted capacity building training for community volunteers in Myanmar to improve their counselling skills by…
Diagnosis patterns for rifampicin-resistant TB after onset of COVID-19
In this recently accepted article for IJTLD, the authors found that RR-TB diagnosis decreased by 21–38% following the start of the pandemic. The results are disturbing and suggest that COVID-19 has had a sustained impact at a time when household transmission of TB/RR-TB might have increased due to ‘shelter at home’. The preprint is free to read.
Tackling antimicrobial resistance: Union commits to take action
The Union supports the call to action to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by the United Nations Group of Friends on AMR.