XDR-TB may get out of control: experts
By, SABC News, March 8, 2007
Leading health experts say the extreme drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) virus affecting certain parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape can get out of control if it is not immediately treated. XDR-TB has already killed more than 50 people in KwaZulu-Natal.
The deadly XDR-TB is reported to be spreading rapidly across the country. US public health experts say most South Africans who are infected with HIV are actually being killed by TB. Richard Chaisson, of the Consortium to Respond Effectively to the Aids/TB epidemic, otherwise known as CREATE, says TB has become more dangerous.
SA has some tools to fight TB
Chaisson says funding for research, and development of new tools to effectively fight this latest scourge, remains the problem. However he says South Africa has other resources to deal with it.
Archbishop Tutu is already sounding the alarm. Last week he wrote an open letter to the US congress, asking for $300 million to fight TB in Africa. The XDR-TB virus has already been detected in 28 other countries.
George Soros, a US billionaire, and other activists have started a campaign to urge governments to take necessary steps to stop this latest scourge before it gets out of control.
Source: http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/health/0,2172,145039,00.html
Leading health experts say the extreme drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) virus affecting certain parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape can get out of control if it is not immediately treated. XDR-TB has already killed more than 50 people in KwaZulu-Natal.
The deadly XDR-TB is reported to be spreading rapidly across the country. US public health experts say most South Africans who are infected with HIV are actually being killed by TB. Richard Chaisson, of the Consortium to Respond Effectively to the Aids/TB epidemic, otherwise known as CREATE, says TB has become more dangerous.
SA has some tools to fight TB
Chaisson says funding for research, and development of new tools to effectively fight this latest scourge, remains the problem. However he says South Africa has other resources to deal with it.
Archbishop Tutu is already sounding the alarm. Last week he wrote an open letter to the US congress, asking for $300 million to fight TB in Africa. The XDR-TB virus has already been detected in 28 other countries.
George Soros, a US billionaire, and other activists have started a campaign to urge governments to take necessary steps to stop this latest scourge before it gets out of control.
Source: http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/health/0,2172,145039,00.html
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 9:23 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home