Stop TB USA have just published a
report on why the medical community have failed to stop TB
This report assesses how and why the IOM’s tuberculosis elimination plan has not been fully implemented and provides updated action plans to move forward on its recommendations to accelerate progress toward tuberculosis elimination in the United States.
The
2000 IOM report required government to
Accelerate the rate of decline of tuberculosis by increasing efforts at targeted testing and treatment for latent tuberculosis infection
In that regard it is a "fail"
two blood tests are currently licensed in the United States. However, insufficient funding for operational research has led to delays in implementation of these tests, and many public health programs have been unable to cover the additional cost of these tests.
So when it comes to money
Federal funding has not increased to the level recommended by the IOM as necessary to accelerate the elimination of tuberculosis.... All members and partners of Stop TB USA need to mobilize to build the political will to increase the Division’s funding to the full appropriated levels.
It's easy to blame the government however the 2000 IOM report did say that to achieve these goals
social mobilization is necessary to build and sustain political will
which means that the ball is now back in the medical communities court
Stop TB USA and its partners must work together to develop the political will needed to advocate for the development and implementation of new tools needed both domestically and globally to eliminate TB..
To gather political support you need use the media to educate and create public interest in TB elimination
Only an aggressive effort aimed at building political commitment can prevent the elimination of funding for tuberculosis research
