In order to increase research and speed up progress to control tuberculosis (TB) around the world, novel tools and coordination are vital.

Christian Lienhardt from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland and colleagues announce in an article in this week’s PLoS Medicine, that the Stop TB Partnership and the WHO Stop TB Department have initiated the TB Research Movement.

The authors of the article describe how the Research Movement strategic plan was developed and underline progress in its two vital components:

  • The examination of the worldwide funding landscape for tuberculosis research.
  • The development of a worldwide tuberculosis research plan.

The problem of TB continues to be vast. The researchers explain that:

“With 9.4 million new cases of tuberculosis (TB) and 1.7 million TB deaths worldwide in 2009, TB constitutes an unacceptable burden of human suffering and loss.

The tools available for TB control are old, lack effectiveness, and are not readily accessible in many settings: the diagnosis of pulmonary TB still relies in most high-burden countries on sputum microscopy, a century old technology; the treatment of tuberculosis is based on drugs that are over 40 years old and requires direct supervision to ensure full treatment adherence and prevent drug resistance; and the only TB vaccine (BCG), first used in 1922, has a variable protective efficacy in adults.

Novel tools are needed for better TB care and control worldwide.”

They continue:

“Through this strategic plan, the TB research movement is creating a framework for concrete actions to harmonize and synergize TB research efforts globally, so that poor and vulnerable populations burdened by TB will reap the dividend of less TB through more research and innovation.”

Competing Interests: MP chairs the Task Force of the TB Research Movement. MP also serves as a consultant to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). BMGF had no involvement in this manuscript. MP serves on the editorial boards of PLoS ONE and PLoS Medicine. The other authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Written by Grace Rattue