The Unitaid-funded IMPAACT4TB Consortium, led by the Aurum Institute, announced today that it will provide 250,000 patient courses of short-course rifapentine-based preventive treatment regimens to seven countries to help prevent tuberculosis (TB). The patient courses will include the three-month 3HP regimen, and the even shorter 1HP, which is only taken for 28 days. This contribution…
Stop TB Partnership sounds the alarm on tuberculosis (TB) funding crisis
By Henry Opondo Despite world leaders agreeing to an ambitious set of commitments at the 2018 UN High-Level Meeting on TB (UNHLM), just 41% of the US$13 billion target agreed by Heads of State and Government had been realized. During the same period, 4,400 people have been dying daily due to TB, an alarming reality…
World Malaria Day 2022 Official Statement
By H.E. Minata Samate Cessouma Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, African Union Commission The African Union Commission joins the world to commemorate World Malaria Day 2022 under the theme “Advance Equity. Build Resilience. End Malaria” as we all strive to meet the global goal to eradicate malaria by 2030. I am…
People Living with HIV: Shorter TB regimen found to have a lasting effect
A new study implemented by the Aurum Institute and Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) in South Africa, the Ohio State University, Global One Health initiative in Ethiopia, and by Centro de Investigação de Saúde de Manhiça (CISM) in Mozambique has found that a single course of weekly rifapentine and isoniazid for three months (3HP) provides…
New global plan to end TB
The Stop TB Partnership launched the Global Plan to End TB 2018-2022 that calls for 2.6 billion USD per year for vital research and development of new tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic tools, new drug regimens and a new vaccine, and 13 billion USD per year for TB care and prevention. With the new Global Plan, the…
Strengthening health systems to better fight infectious diseases in Africa
The WHO reports that 13 million people die from infectious diseases each year. In some countries, one in every two deaths is a result of an infectious disease; while in Africa, diseases like HIV/Aids, TB, malaria and hepatitis account for the majority of these deaths. Dr Izukanji Sikazwe, CEO of the Centre of Infectious Disease…
Public vs Private: Massive investments in the former still fail to attract Patients
Despite a significant proportion of the population qualifying for free care, patients in South Africa still prefer to attend private sector facilities. This is according to Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey (GHS) of 2015, in which user satisfaction surveys revealed that only 57.6% of patients in the public sector were satisfied with the services…
Global leaders from across Africa meet to counter microbial resistance, help global fight
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) will convene a landmark summit of key regional stakeholders and international experts today to discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and diagnostics. During the event, a significant Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the two organizations, pledging a commitment to identify…
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