Lilly: Effective TB Care Starts with Early Diagnosis
By David Marbaugh
Today's guest blog comes from Lilly's Vice President of Global Health Programs and Access, Dr. Evan Lee.
The World Health Organization reported some promising news this week: confirmed diagnoses of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases more than tripled between 2009 and 2013 in 27 countries targeted through an innovative collaboration called EXPAND-TB.
Why is this a good thing? Because diagnosis is the critical first step in treating and caring for people affected by MDR-TB. It is also important for their families and friends, who are at risk and other close contacts in the community. Yet most cases are missed – in 2012, less than a quarter of the 450,000 people estimated to have fallen ill with MDR-TB were diagnosed and officially notified to ministries of health.
Through initiatives like EXPAND-TB, we are starting to close that gap.
To learn more about developments in early TB detection, please read our blog.
