The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/EURO) regularly collaborate on tuberculosis (TB) surveillance, prevention and control in the European Union. Based on a request from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia, ECDC and WHO/EURO conducted a joint country visit from 22 to 26 October 2012, with the objective of providing a comprehensive overview of tuberculosis prevention, control and care in the country, and presenting the health authorities with key recommendations and suggested actions to improve work in this area.

The use of rapid molecular assays has diagnostic value in tuberculosis identification and detection of drug resistance, although there is not enough evidence to recommend these tools in all populations and situations and they should not replace standard diagnostic methods.

This week ECDC is joining its international partners to discuss the common goal of eliminating TB in Europe. The Week of Annual Meetings of European Tuberculosis Networks takes place in The Hague from 28 to 31 May.

Over 1000 patients are estimated to fall sick with tuberculosis every day across Europe – or over 380 000 yearly – signalling that there is no room for complacency when it comes to TB prevention and control.

ECDC’s new Annual Epidemiological Report provides a comprehensive review of more than 50 communicable diseases currently notifiable under EU legislation.

A joint mission of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) to Romania has recommended immediate resumption of BCG (Bacille Calmette–Guérin) vaccination against tuberculosis in infants in the country.

While many European countries are progressing towards TB elimination, the target of less than 1 TB case/1,000,000 population is still far from being achieved everywhere.

ECDC and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) have developed 21 patient-centred standards that aim to guide clinicians and public health workers in their daily work to ensure optimal diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) in Europe.

In a hearing at the European Parliament in Brussels, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger underlined the importance of sufficient resources at national level to diagnose and adequately treat tuberculosis.   

Tuberculosis on the retreat in Europe but concerns about drug-resistant TB and treatment failure remain.