Essential Medicines News

Michael Wines, “Virulent TB in South Africa May Imperil Millions”  New York Times, 28 January 2007.

A virulent strain of tuberculosis has killed many in South Africa over the past year and may be spreading throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

“ Several expressed concern at what they called South Africa’s sluggish response to a health emergency that, left unchecked, could prove hugely expensive to contain and could threaten millions across sub-Saharan Africa. “

This TB strain is extremely drug resistant and thus more difficult to properly treat than other strains.

“The form of TB, known as XDR for extensively drug-resistant, cannot be effectively treated with most first- and second-line tuberculosis drugs, and some doctors consider it incurable. “

 The existence of XDR TB in South Africa is alarming because HIV-positive people are especially susceptible to TB, and South Africa is the center of the world’s AIDS pandemic with a very large HIV-positive population.

“Should XDR TB gain a foothold in the H.I.V.-positive population, it could wreak havoc not only among the five million South Africans who carry the virus, but the tens of millions more throughout sub-Saharan Africa.”

If the spread of XDR TB is not slowed and it reaches the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, the health and lives of of millions of people may be at risk.