The White House announced Dec. 22 the creation of The National Action Plan to Combat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB), an initiative to target the strain of TB that has proved resistant to common courses of drug therapy and affects countries worldwide.
With this initiative, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), renewed attention is given to particular types of tuberculosis in a time when tuberculosis has become treatable and is in decline around the world.
This renewed focus also hopes to facilitate additional and aggressive research, particularly in affected regions of the world with fewer financial, scientific and medical resources, such as Africa and remote regions of Asia. Subject matter experts have also been made available thanks to initiative funding to help guide and direct new research, and offer guidance as research questions arise. Additional portions of the initiative include access to tuberculosis treatment and drugs, assessment screenings, and education initiatives to help recognize and report symptoms to track areas of outbreak.
In this case, the initiative highlights that infection brings attention. Tuberculosis in one region of the world is a shared problem and responsibility. Wellness through prevention, education and prompt treatment, as well as awareness of the diseases through this initiative, brings the health problem into focus and toward solutions to further control its spread and effects worldwide.
