Eli Lilly & Company's 360° plan to defeat MDR-TB
Patrizia Carlevaro, Head of International Aid Unit, Eli Lilly & Company, discusses the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership, and says that we have all the tools we need to defeat TB – the challenge rests in effectively linking private sector resources and skills to the needs of local health care providers.
Lilly's multi-faceted approach
Supporting Front-Line Health Care Providers is Critical
Engaging all sectors to de-stigmatize TB
Controlling TB a Priority for AngloGold Ashanti
Dr. Brian Chicksen, Head of Health Services, AngloGold Ashanti, discusses the ins-and-outs of the South African mining company’s successful TB control program, and the linkages with HIV/AIDS, but stresses that the battle against this deadly epidemic is far from over
AngloGold Ashanti's 4-point TB control program moves from reaction to prevention
AngloGold Ashanti’s war against TB is far from over
Leading by example: Why TB is a priority for AngloGold Ashanti
Workplace Key Battleground in Fight Against TB
Shuma Panse, Manager, GBC Knowledge, Evaluation and Performance Department, discusses specific action steps that business can take to protect their employees from the spread of TB, and says cooperation with public health authorities is critical to preventing the further emergence of MDR-TB and XDR-TB.
Three Components of Effective Workplace TB Programs
Private Doctors Must Follow National TB guidelines
Target Tuberculosis: Business Moves to Protect Millions from Quickly Spreading Pandemic
From the laboratory to the factory floor, businesses around the world are training their skills and resources against one of the most troubling health crises of our time: the resurgence of tuberculosis and the emergence of new drug-resistant strains like MDR-TB and XDR-TB. Leading GBC member companies are leading by example, from protecting their employees in the workplace to developing critical new diagnostic tools and transferring critical technology needed to produce new treatment regimens.
Eli Lilly & Company
The Lilly Partnership is a multi-pronged, global effort to fight MDR-TB in 40 countries with a $70 million commitment, focusing on three components: 1) transfer of technology and drug supply; 2) training, treatment and surveillance and 3) community support, patient advocacy, workplace awareness and prevention.
AngloGold Ashanti
AngloGold Ashanti’s TB program is an integral part of the company’s overall employee wellness program, and is based on four key pillars of activity: 1) transmission control; 2) effective disease management; 3) research, monitoring and evaluation and 4) information, education and communication. Each of these components exceed the requirements of WHO and National TB Control guidelines.
» TB in the Workplace: Explore AngloGold Ashanti’s TB Control Program
» TB Research: AngloGold Ashanti partners on Thibela TB research program to investigate community-wide TB prevention therapy
» Occupational Health & Safety: Read AngloGold Ashanti's 2007 report to society
Highlights of other GBC member actions in the fight against tuberculosis
» Best Practices: GBC member action in the fight against tuberculosis
PEPFAR Bill Includes Critical Funding for Global TB Programs
GBC and its members active in the fight against TB recognize that fighting TB is integral to the fight against HIV/AIDS, and are encouraged that the $50 billion PEPFAR reauthorization bill currently being considered by Congress includes $4 billion for bilateral programs for TB.
» PEPFAR and TB: GBC Supports $50 Billion Reauthorization Bill
Tuberculosis Resources
In the most recent edition of Business Action, Dr. Mario Raviglione, Director of the Stop TB Department of the WHO, discussed why fighting TB is integral to the fight against HIV/AIDS.
» WHO: Dr. Mario Raviglione Q&A on TB in Business Action
The World Health Organization recently launched its 2008 report on Global TB Control, which monitors the scale and direction of TB epidemics, implementation and impact of the Stop TB Strategy.
Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, GBC President and CEO, emphasizes the business role in the fight against TB in a message of support to the Stop TB Partnership
World TB Day Events
» Roundtable Discussion: TB Today: Old Enemy, New Hurdles (PDF)
Quick Facts on Tuberculosis
According to the WHO, there were 9.2 million new cases of TB in 2006, and an estimated 1.7 million deaths from TB. - Around the world, every second someone new is infected with TB bacilli.
- TB is the 3rd leading cause of death for people of prime working age (15-59 yrs) in low to middle-income countries
- HIV/TB co-infection is a growing concern: In 2006, an estimated 7.6% of new cases and 11.8% of deaths from TB were among people living with HIV.
- Approximately 5.4% of all TB cases are MDR-TB, and WHO estimates that nearly 500,000 new MDR-TB infections occur each year. China and Russia are the countries most affected by MDR-TB.
- 83% of all reported TB cases occur in Africa, Southeast Asian and the Western Pacific
- TB drains $16 billion from the annual incomes of the world's poorest communities. In some countries, loss of productivity attributable to TB approaches 7% of GDP
- Mean spending on TB an account for as much as 20 percent of household income around the world.
- The World Bank reports that, barring effective TB treatment as prescribed by the WHO’s Stop TB Strategy, TB-related deaths will cost sub-Saharan Africa an estimated US $519 billion. For every dollar spent on effective TB treatment and prevention, the return is ninefold.
- TB’s financial impact is devastating. According to a study done in Thailand, 15% of poor households sold property and 10% took out loans to meet the direct costs of the disease. Another study in Zambia estimates that spending on TB treatment was equivalent to 99% of the average monthly income.