Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is one of the most serious public health problems in the world today—and the global burden is growing. That’s why we are delighted to announce that UNITAID has awarded Partners In Health a grant that will change how MDR-TB is treated throughout the world.

The new GeneXpert machine just installed in Tomsk, Russia cuts the time needed to test people for tuberculosis (TB) from weeks to just two hours. In a region with an especially high rate of TB, the system enables medical providers to identify and treat TB and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) early and fast. This in turn improves patients' quality of life and curbs the spread of disease.