Africa Asia Middle East عربي Français free subscription IRIN Site Map RSS find PlusNews on facebook follow PlusNews on twitter
PlusNews
Global HIV/AIDS news and analysis
Advanced search
 Saturday 11 December 2010
 
Home 
Africa 
Blog 
Weekly reports 
In-Depth reports 
Country profiles 
Fact files 
Events 
Most read 
 
Print report Share |
HEALTH: WHO approves new rapid TB test


Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN
Improved diagnosis would mean earlier, more effective treatment
NAIROBI, 9 December 2010 (PlusNews) - The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has endorsed a new rapid test for tuberculosis that could save millions of lives through early diagnosis of the disease. TB killed an estimated 1.7 million people globally in 2009.

"This test will be very important for our country and other developing countries fighting TB epidemics; its speed and improved sensitivity will help us pick up far more cases and begin treatment earlier," said Joseph Sitienei, head of Kenya's National TB and Leprosy Control Programme.

Described as "revolutionary" by WHO, the accurate, easy-to-use test can diagnose TB in about 100 minutes, compared with current tests that can take up to three months. Developed by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), a non-profit organization based in Switzerland, the test is also able to detect drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis and TB complicated by HIV infection.

According to WHO, wide use of the test could result in a three-fold increase in the diagnosis of patients with drug-resistant TB and a 100 percent rise in the number of HIV-associated TB cases diagnosed in high-burden HIV and TB areas.

More on TB
 New two-hour TB test
 One-hour TB test "must be affordable" for poor countries
 Drug-Resistant TB
FIND has negotiated a 75 percent reduction in the price of the test cartridges for countries most affected by TB compared with the current market price; each test cartridge will cost less than US$17.

Sitienei noted that while treatment was generally available for people diagnosed with TB in Kenya, there were likely to be challenges in rolling out the new test.

"We need to ensure that we have the infrastructure on the ground - especially in rural areas - to take advantage of the test's availability," he said. "We also need to train staff to be conversant in its use. There is a need to prepare the ground."

kr/mw


Theme(s): (PLUSNEWS) Care/Treatment - PlusNews, (PLUSNEWS) Health & Nutrition, (PLUSNEWS) HIV/AIDS (PlusNews)

[ENDS]

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]
Print report Share |
Countries
FREE Subscriptions
Your e-mail address:


Submit your request
Socialize
 More on AFRICA
08/Dec/2010
AFRICA: Getting men talking about condoms
07/Dec/2010
AFRICA: Risky sex does not equal HIV risk - study
03/Dec/2010
HIV/AIDS: IRIN/PlusNews weekly news and analysis round-up, Issue 514 for 3 December 2010
03/Dec/2010
AFRICA: Mobile phones for health
01/Dec/2010
AFRICA: Mapping progress on universal access
 More on Care/Treatment - PlusNews
02/Dec/2010
KENYA: Walking 26km for a condom
02/Dec/2010
ZAMBIA: How to make broad ARV access work
01/Dec/2010
HIV/AIDS: Does the world need more AIDS targets?
01/Dec/2010
UGANDA: Striving to provide first-, second- and third-line ARVs
01/Dec/2010
AFRICA: Mapping progress on universal access
 Most Read 
AFRICA: Risky sex does not equal HIV risk - study
AFRICA: Getting men talking about condoms
HEALTH: WHO approves new rapid TB test
HIV/AIDS: IRIN/PlusNews weekly news and analysis round-up Issue 515 for 10 December 2010
Back | Home page

Services:  Africa | Asia | Middle East | Film & TV | Photo | Radio | Live news map | E-mail subscription
Feedback · IRIN Terms & Conditions · Really Simple Syndication News Feeds · About PlusNews · Jobs · Donors

Copyright © IRIN 2010
This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States. Republication is subject to terms and conditions as set out in the IRIN copyright page.