Our work in TB
The Union works towards the global elimination of TB. We support high-quality, accessible prevention and care for people with and at risk of TB, to expand the evidence base for TB care and prevention and implement new knowledge into policy and practice.
Project Axshya
Between January 2018 and March 2020, The Union’s Project Axshya has facilitated the identification and testing of 730,000 people with presumptive TB, and the project provided sputum collection and transportation services to 320,000 people, resulting in 20,000 patients being diagnosed with TB.
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.
Specific TB priority areas
Read more about how The Union is working to fight key areas of TB:
Child & Adolescent Tuberculosis
The Union works to develop, test, implement and scale up routine screening of child contacts of people with TB. We run observational studies and advocate to ensure children and adolescents are included in clinical trials that target diagnostics, vaccines and treatment of TB disease and infection.
TB-HIV, TB-Diabetes and other co-morbidities
The Union develops, tests, implements and scales up models of care for co-morbid conditions that increase the risk of developing TB, that are prevalent in high TB burden settings, or that adversely affect TB treatment outcomes.
The Zoonotic TB Sub-section was instrumental in the creation of the first-ever Roadmap for Zoonotic TB, a policy document that addressed the major health and economic impacts of the disease, created in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
Members work together to influence global policy and practice, ensuring their work has a greater global impact.
Understand the issues with our factsheets
Tuberculosis Union news
TB and COVID-19 co-infection: rationale and aims of a global study
The potential impact of COVID-19 on TB patients and services continues to generate significant attention. Although several concerns have been raised, scientific evidence remains modest.
New report shows critical delays delivering the latest standards of tuberculosis care
The report from Stop TB Partnership and Médecins Sans Frontières shows critical delays in updating national policies in 37 high burden countries to reflect the latest international guidance in key areas of TB care.
Urgent call for continuity of TB services during the COVID-19 pandemic in China
Our survey revealed that COVID-19 led to a significant disruption in TB diagnosis and care at major hospitals throughout China. We urgently call for additional investment directed toward improving the availability of diagnostics and therapeutics such that equitable access to care can be maintained during times of crisis.
Preventing TB in people with diabetes: where are we now and where are we going?
To mark World Diabetes Day, 14 November, Professor Anthony Harries, Senior Adviser at The Union writes about the changing landscape and…
The Union’s Director of TB, Dr Grania Brigden makes intervention at Rome 5
The Union’s Director of TB, Dr Grania Brigden makes intervention at Rome 5
Bedaquiline: Rolling out the first new TB drug since 1960
A special thematic issue of The Union's International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease explores increasing access to this vital treatment for multidrug-resistant TB.
TB Publications
Until recently, the focus has been on finding and treating people with TB. But now bold targets for TB prevention have been outlined in the recent UN High-Level Meeting on TB. The Union develops, tests, implements and scales up models of care to increase the uptake and completion of TB preventive treatments in key high risk groups including children under 5 and people living with HIV.
'Prevent Tuberculosis: Management of TB Infection' is a free course which improves knowledge of all aspects of the management of TB infection including the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis with the specific aim of increasing country-level implementation of TB prevention among i) household contact of people affected by TB, especially those under five years of age, ii) persons with risk factors to develop TB, and iii) people living with HIV in care.