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There are few medical mysteries in TB control. A highly effective, low-tech treatment exists, using medicines which cost as little as US $11 per patient in some countries. The WHO-recommended TB treatment strategy - DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) -has proven successful in every part of the world and is considered to be a cost-effective intervention on a par with childhood vaccinations and the control of diarrhea diseases. And yet each year, TB still kills nearly two to three million people - more youth and adults than any other infectious disease. There is a reason for this paradox.
TB control is a low political priority in many countries. For every US $10 spent on health care in poor countries, only two pennies currently go to TB control. And while all infectious diseases cause nearly 30 percent of deaths in poor countries, they receive only 1.5 percent of foreign aid. Without basic funding and policy changes, we will never conquer TB. One of the five elements of the DOTS strategy is political will. The other four elements-reliable diagnosis using microscopes, an adequate drug supply, health and community workers or trained volunteers observing patients swallowing their medicines, and a system of recording and reporting patients' progress-simply cannot have a widespread impact on the disease without political commitment. In the end, governments and decision-makers in developing countries and donor agencies are essential to sustained progress in TB control. Which is why we need to direct our energies, not only to clinical and research activities, but also to effective advocacy.
TB Advocacy : A Practical Guide
http://www.who.int/gtb/publications/TBAdvocacy
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