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Relying on the standard World Health Organisation (WHO) TB strategies in the face of extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB) was dangerous, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned this week. According to MSF, to respond to the XDR-TB outbreak, WHO will need to get newer drugs to patients as soon as possible by ensuring accelerated development of new drugs already in clinical trials.

Existing TB drugs and diagnostics are not adequate to combat the disease, and a new analysis released by MSF at the 37th Union World Conference on Lung Health held this week in Paris, shows that none of the TB drugs currently in development, however promising, will be able to drastically improve TB treatment in the near future.

To access the report: www.accessmed-msf.org

The theme of the conference will be 'Strengthening resource capacity and transfer of adequate technology for an integrated development in Africa'. Its aims include promoting research relevant to the diseases found in and particular to Africa; identifying and evaluating old and existing technologies for healthcare in Africa; and strengthening the international lobbying of governments on certain African health issues.

Topics to be covered include: avian flu; health systems and policy; HIV, AIDS and opportunistic diseases; malaria and insecticides; neglected diseases and orphan medicines; non-communicable diseases; quality management; and reproduction and maternal health.

For more information, go to: www.mrc.ac.za

One of the major challenges facing the continent is to gather resources and translate knowledge and experience into treatment and prevention programmes.

This conference at the Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa, seeks to address the consequences if business continues to ignore current warnings and statistics on HIV/AIDS.

Register at www.aidsafricaconference.com.