“The Urgent Need to Stop TB: Increasing Diagnostic Testing and Developing New Diagnostic Tools” was the theme of a congressional briefing held in Washington D.C. on 22 January 2008.

Speakers included FIND Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Giorgio Roscigno, Dr. Irene Koek, Infectious Diseases Division Chief, U.S. Agency for International Development, and BD Fellow, Dr. Salman Siddiqi. Representatives from the Global Health Council and Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation were also present. Nicole Bates, Director of Government Relations, Global Health Council, acted as moderator.

TB, which is a contagious disease, still causes nearly two million deaths a year mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia. The World Health Organization also estimates that its cause, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, infects one-third of the world’s population worldwide.

Today, the most commonly used TB diagnostic is sputum microscopy. This technology often lacks sensitivity in detecting new TB patients, particularly in cases of co-infection with HIV. Improved TB diagnostics that are rapid, practical and accurate, as well as new drugs and vaccines, are critical in the fight against TB for people in all settings.

For more information about the briefing and registration for this event please visit the following web address: http://www.globalhealth.org/news/article/9499.

Dr. Roscigno's presentation [80kb]