Drug-resistant TB control, new tech become key in fight against the disease

Tuberculosis (TB), once an incurable disease that plagued humanity for millennia, is now preventable and treatable. However, the fight against TB remains a significant challenge.

In 2023, globally, nearly 30,000 people fell ill with TB and 3,500 died from it every day, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Zhao Yanlin, director of China's National Center for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized that TB prevention and control is a systemic project requiring the collective efforts of the whole society.

China is implementing a 2024-2030 national plan for TB prevention and treatment, focusing on strengthening grassroots capabilities and ensuring basic services.

Despite progress, several issues need attention in China's TB control, including low patient detection rates, and high economic burdens for some patients.

WHO data showed that China was estimated to have 29,000 cases of multidrug/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) in 2023, accounting for 7.3 percent of the global total and ranking fourth.

Zhang Hui, deputy director of the country's National Center for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention, highlighted that drug-resistant TB has longer treatment and transmission periods, more complex regimens, higher costs and lower patient compliance.

To control drug-resistant TB, China is taking measures to standardize treatment for TB patients, promote short-course oral regimens and reduce patient economic burdens.

They made the remarks at a recent Beijing seminar attended by experts and media who discussed accelerating the end of the TB epidemic. Supported by the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute and the Gates Foundation, the seminar was hosted by the Center for Social Media Research of Peking University. It highlighted technological advancements in TB diagnosis, treatment and vaccination, which are crucial for TB control.

China has made progress in TB diagnostic technology, with tongue-swab rapid testing and artificial intelligence-based computer aided detection (AI-CAD) reaching or surpassing international standards.

(Cover: An illustration of human lungs. /VCG)