Tuberculosis
has been declared a global public health emergency by the World
Health Organization. The most recent estimates, produced by WHO
in collaboration with the School, suggest that there are around
2 million deaths and 8.4 million cases each year and that almost
2 billion people may be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis,
the bacteria responsible for the disease. The rising number of tuberculosis
cases and deaths has made tuberculosis a priority for many poor
countries where the overwhelming burden of disease lies. Our studies
have demonstrated that patients with tuberculosis are "doubly
impoverished" - illness prevents them from earning their living
but they still have to pay to access health care.
The DFID
(Department for International Development) Tuberculosis Programme
is a five-year medical research project based at the London
School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in collaboration with
the Nuffield Institute
in Leeds. It is a multidisciplinary Programme encompassing economics,
anthropology, epidemiology, laboratory disciplines, health policy
and clinical research.
