
'Extraordinary' new plan triples spending to fight TB CBC \|\| January 30, 2006 [KDR: If AIDS is causing the large increase in TB cases, wouldn't the focus be better spent on that? Fix the cause of the problem not the symptoms. But you can't make much money fixing a problem.] A new worldwide assault on tuberculosis, which kills about two million people a year, was announced in Ottawa on Friday. The plan calls for public and private groups to spend $56 billion US over the next decade, tripling the current outlay to fight TB. The disease has become increasingly lethal, especially in Africa, because of its growing resistance to drugs and impact on those weakened by AIDS. "This is an extraordinary initiative. This is a really serious initiative," Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for HIV-AIDS in Africa, told CBC News. "Throughout southern Africa, where I spend much of my time, there is what you call co-infection," he said. "If you visit the adult wards of the hospitals, you'll find that 40, 50, 60, 70 per cent or more of the people who have HIV-AIDS also have tuberculosis." Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com Lewis says TB is "the real killer after the immune system has disintegrated." The Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015 involves more than 400 organizations co-ordinated by the World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations. Among them are the World Bank, and Canadian and U.S. foreign aid agencies. The plan was announced in various cities, including Ottawa, in recognition of Canada's role in fighting TB, a WHO official said. "As the founding donor of the Global Drug Facility, Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency, has enabled the supply of high-quality drugs at a greatly reduced cost to TB sufferers," Mario Raviglione, director of the agency's anti-TB department, said in a statement. "Canada should be proud of its success and life-saving work in the fight against tuberculosis." Lewis called the plan "remarkable ... a real mobilization." He said its goals include: Treating 50 million people and saving 14 million lives by 2015. Cutting both the death rate and prevalence of the disease in half. Developing new diagnostic methods and vaccines, and the first new drugs in 40 years. He noted, however, that $31 billion US of the $56 billion US "is a shortfall at the moment and will have to be raised." U.S. billionaire Bill Gates kicked off the fundraising with a big pledge. At a meeting in Switzerland, the Microsoft co-founder said his charitable foundation will contribute $900 million US to the effort over a decade, tripling its current anti-TB spending. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Weekly Features Archive
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'Extraordinary' new plan triples spending to fight TB

CBC || January 30, 2006

[KDR: If AIDS is causing the large increase in TB cases, wouldn't the focus be better spent on that? Fix the cause of the problem not the symptoms. But you can't make much money fixing a problem.]

A new worldwide assault on tuberculosis, which kills about two million people a year, was announced in Ottawa on Friday.

The plan calls for public and private groups to spend $56 billion US over the next decade, tripling the current outlay to fight TB. The disease has become increasingly lethal, especially in Africa, because of its growing resistance to drugs and impact on those weakened by AIDS.

"This is an extraordinary initiative. This is a really serious initiative," Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for HIV-AIDS in Africa, told CBC News.

"Throughout southern Africa, where I spend much of my time, there is what you call co-infection," he said.

"If you visit the adult wards of the hospitals, you'll find that 40, 50, 60, 70 per cent or more of the people who have HIV-AIDS also have tuberculosis."

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

Lewis says TB is "the real killer after the immune system has disintegrated."

The Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015 involves more than 400 organizations co-ordinated by the World Health Organization, an arm of the United Nations. Among them are the World Bank, and Canadian and U.S. foreign aid agencies.

The plan was announced in various cities, including Ottawa, in recognition of Canada's role in fighting TB, a WHO official said.

"As the founding donor of the Global Drug Facility, Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency, has enabled the supply of high-quality drugs at a greatly reduced cost to TB sufferers," Mario Raviglione, director of the agency's anti-TB department, said in a statement. "Canada should be proud of its success and life-saving work in the fight against tuberculosis."

Lewis called the plan "remarkable ... a real mobilization." He said its goals include:

Treating 50 million people and saving 14 million lives by 2015.

Cutting both the death rate and prevalence of the disease in half.

Developing new diagnostic methods and vaccines, and the first new drugs in 40 years.

He noted, however, that $31 billion US of the $56 billion US "is a shortfall at the moment and will have to be raised."

U.S. billionaire Bill Gates kicked off the fundraising with a big pledge.

At a meeting in Switzerland, the Microsoft co-founder said his charitable foundation will contribute $900 million US to the effort over a decade, tripling its current anti-TB spending.

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