Satisfactory treatment for tuberculosis is available but is often
incorrectly applied. Incorrectly applied treatment causes drugs
resistance and treatment failure. Drug-resistant tuberculosis may spread
resulting in an incurable state. Drug-resistant disease is a major
problem in many parts of the world. The diagnosis of tuberculosis may be
difficult and tuberculosis may not be considered by health care providers
until it has had a chance to spread widely. To counter these problems,
professional education is a high priority. Teaching health care workers
about tuberculosis especially as it pertains to countries with a high
prevalence of tuberculosis is a major goal of the International
Tuberculosis Foundation.
One reason for the high prevalence of tuberculosis is that many
countries do not have effective national programs. This may result in a
lack of a consistent supply of effective drugs or their inappropriate
application. A major effort of the International Tuberculosis Foundation
is to help strengthen the national programs in countries with a high
prevalence of tuberculosis. To do this International Tuberculosis
Foundation supports programs of the International Union Against
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, World Health Organization, and the United
States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention especially in training
persons working in developing countries.
Tuberculosis will probably not be
eliminated without a vaccine or potent new medicines. The International
Tuberculosis Foundation supports the dissemination of knowledge and
facilitation of discussion of new information leading to new treatments
and measures to control tuberculosis. The International Tuberculosis
Foundation does this by helping sponsor international forums on new
scientific advances, especially the annual international conference of
the North American Region of the International Union Against
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.
The International Tuberculosis
Foundation supports advocacy for tuberculosis and better lung health
worldwide. It works with Lung Associations and other organizations to
this end.
The International Tuberculosis Foundation also
supports lung health programs worldwide to reduce the burden of
pneumonia in children, tobacco and air pollution related diseases.
A major
current program is the Child Lung Health Program in Malawi.
