TB Initiatives To Be Announced

Main Category: Tuberculosis
Article Date: 27 Jun 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Two major health initiatives that will have a substantial impact in the fight against the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic will be announced on Monday.

A joint announcement will be made by FIND, the Stop TB Partnership, UNITAID and WHO.

TB is one of the world's leading killers - second only to HIV/AIDS - with over 1.5 million deaths and nearly 9 million people falling seriously ill with the disease every year. Almost half a million people a year develop multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), a dangerous form of TB that is difficult to treat with standard drugs.

The spread of drug-resistant strains, especially the recent emergence of virtually untreatable extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), threatens to push TB control back into a pre-antibiotic era.

A press pack, including a video news release, will be available.

News Conference:

When: Monday, 30 June, 11:30-12:30
Where: Salle III, Palais des Nations, Geneva
Who:

Dr Mario Raviglione, Director, Stop TB Department, WHO
Dr Jorge Bermudez, Executive Secretary, UNITAID
Dr Giorgio Roscigno, Chief Executive Officer, FIND
Robert Matiru, General Manager, Global Drug Facility, Stop TB Partnership

News Teleconference

When: Monday, 30 June, 1pm(New York)/ 10am (Pacific)/ 6pm (London)
How: To join the call please send your phone contact details to mthroop@results.org and the operator will call out to join you to the call.

Last minute joiners may call toll free 888-684-1264 from the US/Canada or 913-312-1445 and ask for the "MDR TB" call.

Who:

Dr Mario Raviglione, Director, WHO Stop TB Department
Dr Richard O'Brien, Head of Product Evaluation and Demonstration, FIND
Dr Salmaan Keshavjee, Chair, Green Light Committee, MDR-TB Specialist, Partners In Health Moderator: Dr Joanne Carter, Executive Director (appointed), RESULTS Educational Fund

http://www.who.int

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