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There is an urgent need for improved TB diagnostics in children, since current diagnostics are not taking into account the specific challenges of childhood TB. New diagnostic tools have been developed and endorsed by the World Health Organization, such as LED microscopy, line…

Since 2010, The Union and Médecins Sans Frontières have been offering a three-module course in operational research that has proved highly successful. Thirty-four participants from Africa, Asia and Latin America have been through the three course offerings– with 95%…

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Read the press release

The Vice Mayor of Harbin, Mr. Zhang Wanping, inaugurated the event on 21 February and promised that "the Harbin Government will ensure the implementation of the law and that the health of the citizens of Harbin is protected." Also present at the event were the…

Very frequently, scientific research is undertaken, completed, written up and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, and once the paper is accepted and published, the authors rest content that their job is done. Not so with operational research where it is vital to know…

Today is the day for Medical Unit 3 at Mandalay General Hospital. This is a special consultation for HIV-infected patients who also get tuberculosis. There is a strong association between TB and HIV. Since the immune system is weakened by HIV, many patients develop…

In India, a new superhero called Bulgam Bhai is on a mission to educate people about the symptoms of TB and the need to have their sputum tested if they have coughed for two weeks or more. The round, colourful character, who introduces himself as "Myself Bulgam Bhai", was…

18 March 2012 - Paris — An estimated one million children 14 years old and under will need treatment for tuberculosis this year — and some experts claim the number is actually much higher. TB in children is typically under-detected and under-reported, reflecting its low…

Prof Harries was appointed to the Faculty of Public Health & Epidemiology of F1000 when it was founded 10 years ago. As such, each month he selects what he thinks is the most important article published in his area and writes a 300–350 word review of it. The review is…

27 February 2012, Paris – The capacity to diagnose multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has improved with new molecular techniques, but the treatment regimen for the more than 500,000 MDR-TB patients diagnosed each year has not. The internationally recommended regimen is…

The Union Uganda Office's SPARK-TB project (Slum Partnership to Actively Respond to Tuberculosis in Kampala) launched its activities on 1 October 2011. Funded by TB REACH, this project is designed to improve access to quality TB diagnosis and treatment within private health…

On 15 January 2012, The Union launched a new programme called PICTS – Program to Increase Catchment of Tuberculosis Suspects. The grand opening of the one-year programme funded by TB REACH was celebrated at the Mandalay Divisional Health Department with a strong turnout from…

Simon Packer talks about his internship experience at The Union South-East Asia Office

Last year I graduated from Edinburgh University, taking my degree in biological sciences with honours in infectious disease, but I still wasn't sure what direction in public…

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The Magh Mela is an annual Hindu festival held at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers that attracts about 250,000 pilgrims each year. They spend the month-long festival living in campsites maintained by religious organisations, thus providing a perfect opportunity…

22 January, Sofia, Bulgaria - Bulgaria's Smoke-free Life Coalition launched the first Civil Smoke-Free Day on 22 January in Sofia City Centre – one of the city's shopping malls. The initiative aimed to generate public support for restoring the complete ban on smoking in…

The legislative council of Bali, a major international tourist destination, enacted a 100% smokefree provincial legislation in November 2011 states that public places, workplaces including hotels and restaurants and public transport will be 100% smoke-free, effective May 2012…

The workshop, which was held from 29 November to 1 December 2011, brought together senior academics such as deans, vice-chancellors and department heads from Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia, to discuss and plan how to implement, strengthen and expand…

"Xpert® MTB/RIF for NTPs in low-income countries: when, where and how?" states that this test offers new and important possibilities for the diagnosis of sputum smear-negative tuberculosis (TB) and/or rifampicin (RMP) resistance. It points out, however, that in…