On 24 March 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Society of Radiology (ISR) along with the World Federation of Pediatric Imaging (WFPI) will host a special World TB Day 2022 scientific symposium: Updated WHO guidelines on the management of tuberculosis in children and adolescents: the role of chest radiography to mark the release of updated WHO guidance.

A newly released Health Evidence Network report gives an overview of how the international recommendations on effective TB, HIV and viral hepatitis services for refugees and migrants are implemented within national policies across the WHO European Region.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) will host a special #EndTB webinar on 2 March 2022 to launch an interagency field guide on TB prevention and care among refugees and other populations in humanitarian settings.

Following the publication in 2021 of the Catalogue of mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and their association with drug resistance, which provides a reference standard for the interpretation of mutations conferring resistance to all first-line and a variety of second-line drugs, the World Health Organization (WHO) is now in the process of updating the catalogue to accommodate additional evidence of resistance linked to genotype.

Geneva, Switzerland, 7 February 2022 – Two years into the pandemic, health systems are still facing significant challenges in providing essential health services. Ongoing disruptions have been reported in over 90% of countries surveyed in the third round of WHO’s Global pulse survey on continuity of essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

28 January 2022 | Geneva: Following review of  evidence and advice from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Tuberculosis (TB) Diagnostics and Laboratory Strengthening, the World Health Organization (WHO) announces that current WHO recommendations for the use of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) are also valid for Beijing Wantai’s TB-IGRA and Qiagen QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus products. This expands the range of tests available to detect TB infection. Full details are provided in the WHO policy statement.

19 January 2022 | Geneva: The Global Laboratory Initiative (GLI), with its secretariat at the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Programme, is pleased to release a Planning and Budgeting Tool for TB and Drug-Resistant TB Testing for calculation of quantities and costs of diagnostic products and laboratory supplies. The tool references product numbers and prices in the Stop TB Partnership Global Drug Facility (GDF) Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and other Health Products Catalog.

Achieving the goals and targets of the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy requires innovative tools and strategies as well as rapid progress towards universal access.

03 December 2021 | Geneva: Following review of the evidence and advice from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Tuberculosis (TB) Diagnostics and Laboratory Strengthening, the World Health Organization (WHO) concludes that the Xpert MTB/RIF and Ultra cartridge performance on the GeneXpert 10-colour instrument was found to be comparable to that of the GeneXpert 6-colour instrument for detection of TB and rifampicin resistance. The current WHO recommendations for Xpert MTB/RIF and Ultra cartridge use on GeneXpert 6-colour instruments are also valid for their use on GeneXpert 10-colour instruments. Full details are provided in the WHO policy statement.

As we mark this year’s World AIDS Day and focus on ending inequalities, we need to remember that TB is a leading cause of death among people with HIV and the second most common cause of death from an infectious disease, after COVID-19. TB is driven by poverty and thrives on inequity, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable and marginalized. The COVID-19 pandemic is further fuelling inequality by driving up poverty and malnutrition, both of which are major risk factors for TB. Access to essential services for TB has also been severely hampered due to COVID-19 related restrictions and the redirection of resources to the COVID-19 response.