Research can solve the challenge of TB, says WHO

Technology transfer and research will play a crucial role in tackling the challenges of tuberculosis, which include a drug-resistance crisis and millions of undiagnosed cases each year, the World Health Organization has said.

The 2013 Global Tuberculosis Report says that the response to test and treat all those affected by multidrug-resistant TB is inadequate and notes that healthcare systems may have failed to spot 3 million people with TB in 2012 alone.

As one of five main priority actions, it says that the uptake of new tools, through technology transfer and operational research, must be accelerated to “ensure that countries and communities most at risk benefit from these innovations.”