Prospects for advancing tuberculosis control efforts through novel therapies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Development of new, effective, and affordable tuberculosis (TB) therapies has been identified as a critical priority for global TB control. As new candidates emerge from the global TB drug pipeline, the potential impacts of novel, shorter regimens on TB incidence and mortality have not yet been examined.

Methods and findings

We used a mathematical model of TB to evaluate the expected benefits of shortening the duration of effective chemotherapy for active pulmonary TB. First, we considered general relationships between treatment duration and TB dynamics. Next, as a specific example, we calibrated the model to reflect the current situation in the South-East Asia region. We found that even with continued and rapid progress in scaling up the World Health Organization

SUBMITTER: Salomon JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1523376 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature