The report notes that multidrug-resistant TB is on the rise in many countries, including in Peru. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2008/pr05/en/index.html
From the WHO News Release:
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has been recorded at the highest rates ever, according to a new report published today. The report presents findings from the largest survey to date on the scale of drug resistance in tuberculosis.
The report also points to some successes. Thirteen years ago, Estonia and Latvia were singled out by WHO as drug-resistant TB “hotspots”. Following a substantial investment and a sustained assault on MDR-TB, rates in these two Baltic countries are today stabilizing and TB case notification rates are falling.
The true scale of the problem also remains unknown in some pockets of the world. Only six countries in Africa - the region with the highest incidence of TB in the world - were able to provide drug resistance data. Other countries in the region could not conduct surveys because they lack the equipment and trained personnel needed to identify drug-resistant TB. “Without these data, it is difficult to estimate the true burden and trends of MDR-TB and XDR-TB in the region. It is likely there are outbreaks of drug resistance going unnoticed and undetected,” said WHO TB expert Abigail Wright, the principal author of the report.
WHO estimates that US$ 4.8 billion is needed for overall TB control in low- and middle-income countries in 2008, with US$ 1 billion for MDR-TB and XDR-TB. But there is a total finance gap of US$ 2.5 billion, including a US$ 500 million gap for MDR-TB and XDR-TB.
From the report:
Data from nine sites in India show that drug resistance among new cases is relatively low;
however, new data from Gujarat indicate that 17.2% MDR among retreatment cases is higher
than previously anticipated and it is estimated that 110,132 (79,975-142,386) MDR-TB cases
emerged in India in 2006, representing over 20% of the global burden. Although plans have been
developed for management of 5000 MDR-TB cases annually by 2010, insufficient laboratory
capacity is seen as the primary limitation in implementation of these plans.
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