Tuberculosis « resistant » is still frightening in Europe. The Alert of ECDC and WHO: « Alarming growth of the pediatric TB »

Alarm TBC Resistant in Europe, where « the current success rates of the treatment » show « a substantial gap with the global objectives established by the World Health Organization (WHO), which aim to » obtain positive results in at least 90% of patients « . It is one of the nodes that emerge from Report on the Tuberculosis 2025 of ECDC (European Center for the Prevention and Control of Diseases) and the European Regional Office of the WHO, published today in the World TB Day and relating to 2023. A report that reports A growing growing (+10%) of pediatric tuberculosis.

The numbers

«In the European Region – report ECDC and WHO EUROPE – the success rate of the treatment among people with new and recurrent TB who started treatment with first -line drugs in 2022 was of the 75.5%. Similarly to previous years, the success rate of treatment in 2023 was lower in the European Union countries/European economic space (EU/See) compared to the rest of the European region of WHO (respectively 67.9% and 77.2%) « .

Concerns on multi-final-resistant TB

For health authorities, in particular, « it is worrying that Multifarm-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains a significant challenge In the European region of WHO, with successful treatment rates for patients with MDR-TB well below expectations. In 2023 The success rate reported for the treatment of MDR-TB in the regionwhich often used traditional treatments with »injectable drugs, it was alone of 59.7%, to indicate the continuous difficulties in managing these complex cases.

More effective treatment strategies are needed

The situation is even worse for the EU/See, With a success rate of the 56.3% treatment among patients with MDR-TB ». For ECDC and WHO «These figures are worrying, as they highlight the continuous difficulties in effectively managing drug-resistant strainsprobably due to problems such as adherence to treatment, delays in diagnosis and insufficient access to appropriate therapies. Despite the improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, the persistence of the MDR-TB and other forms of drug-resistant TB underlines the‘urgent need – experts urge – more effective treatment strategies and better patient managementI, as new and shorter oral treatment regimes without injections ».

TBC elimination target, by 2030

«The time to act to end tuberculosis is now. With just 5 years of time to achieve our goals for 2030, it is essential that Europe renews its attention on timely and effective prevention and treatment « , because »With the increase in the drug-resistant TB, the cost of today will be paid by all of us askthe ». It is the warning launched by Pamela Rendi-Wagnerdirector of the ACDC (European Center for the Prevention and Control of Diseases), commenting on the report on the TB 2025 of ECDC and the European Regional Office of the WHO, published today in the World TB Day and relating to 2023.

Cases increasing among children

A report that signals a growing growing (+10%) of pediatric tuberculosis. « Defeating the TB is not a dream, it’s a choice, » warns the director of WHO EUROPE, Hans Kluge. «Unfortunately the current burden of TB and the worrying increase in affected children remind us that The progress against this preventable and curable disease remain fragile»Underlines Kluge who reiterates the fears of the United Nations Agency in the light of the announced cuts to US loans for global health.

Funds: situation already precarious worse from the US cuts

« Even before recent cuts to aid to international development – remember – The world was facing a deficit of 11 billion dollars in the global response to tuberculosis. Vital programs for TB throughout the European region, in particular in non -EU countries, could be interested. This means that The transmission of the TB could go unnoticedfurther fueling the increase in difficult strains to treat. But we cannot surrender », urges the number one of WHO Europe. « We must continue the fight against the TB and find new partners who join us. We have the tools, thanks to new treatments, technological progress and innovation. We are transforming the care of tuberculosis for the better, I hope forever ».

The interventions to be made

To deal with the challenges of the fight against tuberculosis and accelerate progress towards the global objective of ending the TB, ECDC and WHO EUROPE, they underline « the need to intensify the efforts to detect and treat people with TB more effectively ». Among the interventions solicited by the health authorities there is « the expansion of access to shorter and completely oral treatment regimeswho have shown that they are promising in improving results for patients with drug-resistant TB.

New diagnostic tests and new development vaccines

Further critical measures to reduce the weight of TB and resistant TB include strengthening of tuberculosis tests and the guarantee that preventive treatments are available for all those at risk. Only by increasing the efforts in these areas will it be possible to achieve the objectives set for the elimination of TB in the European region ». To succeed faster, « it is essential to focus more on high priority countries, improve the TB prevention strategies and face the weight of the co-infection from TB and HIV », ask ECDC and WHO. «There have never been so many tools and opportunities to control the TB, from the new diagnostic tests and treatments to new ones vaccines in the development phase. If we engage in collaboration between countries, sharing the data transparently and facing gaps and challenges together – they assure – the elimination of the TB is within our reach « .