New, shorter treatments for drug resistant TB are a lifeline for people living through conflict

Time and time again, we see how already vulnerable individuals and systems are the worst hit in the immediate and long term aftermath of conflict and other crises. Six months is the standard length of treatment for fully sensitive TB, but for the drug resistant type, treatment has for decades taken...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMJ (Online) 2022-06, Vol.377, p.o1598
Main Author: Jain, Lakshmi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Displaced persons
Drug resistance
Opinion
Patients
Tuberculosis
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Time and time again, we see how already vulnerable individuals and systems are the worst hit in the immediate and long term aftermath of conflict and other crises. Six months is the standard length of treatment for fully sensitive TB, but for the drug resistant type, treatment has for decades taken up to two years, often incorporating medicines that can only be given via injection and with many unpleasant side effects. Hope on the horizon We are living in hopeful times, where better outcomes are possible with even shorter treatment regimens, as shown by my MSF colleagues who have been working on TB-PRACTECAL,1 a clinical trial that found patients have safer and more effective outcomes on an oral six month course of treatment.
ISSN:1756-1833
1756-1833
DOI:10.1136/bmj.o1598