Tag: dr tb

The Union Hands Over TB REACH Project To Ministry Of Health

Healthtimes

By Staff Reporter The Union Zimbabwe Trust (UZT) with financial assistance from the Stop TB Partnership has handed over the TB REACH project recently completed, to the Ministry of Health and Child Care. In 2021, UZT was among recipients of the Stop TB Partnership Wave 9 funding awarded to 11 projects across eight countries, focusing on innovative approaches to address Drug Resistant TB (DR-TB). In Zimbabwe, the two-year project worth US$600,000 was implemented across three provinces, namely; Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Midlands across 19 districts, selected on account of their…

Read More

Incapacitated DR-TB Patients Bear The Brunt of Catastrophic Costs

Michael Gwarisa

Nqobizitha Nkomo and his wife from Insiza District in Matebeleland South, were both diagnosed of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) about a year ago. Even though they say they are feeling better,  Nkomo recounts how their situation almost reduced them to beggars of some sort in their quest to sustain their treatment and recovery journey. By Michael Gwarisa Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) is a form of tuberculosis which has developed resistance to the main medicines used to treat TB. This form of TB can be resistant to one or more anti-TB medicines.…

Read More

Shortened DR TB Treatment Offers Ray Of Hope For TB Patients

Michael Gwarisa

A Study by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) shows long-term effectiveness for shortened DR-TB treatment regimen up to 24 months after treatment completion Results from a Union-led observational study (1) published in The Lancet’s EClinicalMedicine, show that a nine-month shortened treatment regimen for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) delivered to patients under programmatic conditions maintains a good level of effectiveness up to 24 months after completion. Until now there has been limited data on the long-term effectiveness of this treatment regimen after completion. The study reports on…

Read More

Zim Annual TB Incidence Falls By 8%

Michael Gwarisa

CASES of new Tuberculosis (TB) infections have declined by 8% at the back of improved access to TB screening treatment and care at community level. By Michael Gwarisa The incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is defined as the number of new TB cases in one year per 100,000 population whereas  prevalence of tuberculosis is defined as the number of TB cases in a population at a given point in time (sometimes referred to as “point prevalence”) per 100,000 population Speaking at the Mid Term Review of the Zimbabwe National TB program,…

Read More

Drug Resistant TB Treatment Efforts Under Threat says MSF

Healthtimes

By Michael Gwarisa Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says limited access to to new drug delamanid reduces promising treatment options available for those with drug-resistant tuberculosis. According to MSF, almost three quarters (74%) of patients receiving a combination of these drugs for six months achieved ‘culture conversion’, an early indicator that treatment might ultimately be successful. “The WHO endorses delamanid to replace the injectable agent for children and adolescents with DR-TB in cases of intolerance or resistance to some drugs, giving this group an option that is more effective and…

Read More