More global R&D is needed to tackle TB

Mains Paper: 2 | Health 
Prelims level: TB
Mains level: TB burden, the global progress against the disease has been slow

Introduction 

• Tuberculosis (TB) has drawn unprecedented attention in recent times. 
• To dealing with this global threat made the United Nations (UN) schedule its first-ever high-level meeting on TB in New York on 26 September. 
• The meeting offered participating nations the potential to energize the discourse on TB and chart a roadmap for global action on TB.
• One of the major discussion points focused on accelerating research and development (R&D) efforts to end TB. 

Important facts about TB 

• This is particularly relevant for TB, a disease that continues to kill more than 1.3 million people globally every year. 
• While some countries have reduced their TB burden, the overall global progress against the disease has been slow. 
• The lack of advancement in TB R&D is one of the major reasons why the disease continues to thrive and exact a heavy toll on human life. 
• The facts speak for themselves: until 2016, we used a century-old microscopy test that detects only 50% of cases and treated TB patients with long drug regimens that have severe side effects.
• This gap in scientific progress has been a serious concern as there is now a consensus that to transform the TB elimination.
• We need better diagnostics and drugs, and an effective vaccine. 

Steps need to be taken 

• Research must be prioritized and countries need to increase their investments in TB R&D. 
• India has established the India TB Research Consortium (ITRC).
• ITRC has raised the profile of TB research, attracted investments in TB product development and conducted several validation studies on new TB tools. 
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also recently taken steps to initiate trials for two new TB vaccine candidates. 
• India has made considerable progress in advancing TB research. 
• Recognizing this, the ICMR, under which the ITRC was formed, was awarded the prestigious Stop TB Kochon Prize for 2017.

Efforts made by other countries 

• The World Health Organization’s new guidelines on the treatment of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB need to be adopted swiftly. 
• These guidelines, which recommend the use of Bedaquiline as a frontline medicine to treat MDR TB.
• It will revolutionize TB treatment by minimizing the use of painful injectable drugs that are known to cause serious side effects. 
• We also need to focus more research efforts on developing biomarkers to determine those who are predisposed to develop active TB among the close contacts of TB patients so that efficient preventive therapy can be provided.
• Shorter and more efficient anti-TB regimens need to be developed to improve the adherence to treatment and decrease the failure and relapse rates.
• Research for the prevention of transmission of drug sensitive and drug resistant tuberculosis in the healthcare setting is critical. 

Conclusion 

• In the age of globalization, the containment of an infectious disease like TB within borders poses a considerable challenge, which is why eliminating the disease is a pressing global priority. 
• The recently concluded meeting saw the endorsement of a political declaration that underscored the criticality of research in our common goal of eliminating TB. 
• Hopefully, this will act as a starting point for countries’ efforts to advance future TB research.
• Those efforts built on the foundations of a collaborative spirit and a willingness to share individual strengths.

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) The 'Moscow Declaration' is related to:
(a) reduction in forced migration
(b) reduction in global pollution
(c) elimination of open defecation
(d) elimination of tuberculosis
Answer:  D

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) What are the steps needed to tackle TB in R&D sector globally?