Management of TB – what’s new?

14 Oct 2022 10:35 11:00
Goon Ai Khiang Speaker

The End TB strategy is the most ambitious global TB control strategy todate. The vision for the End TB strategy is to end TB as a public health threat by 2035. In order to meet its targets of reducing TB incidence by 90%, TB mortality by 95% and to ensure no catastrophic cost to families due to TB by 2035, compared with baseline rates in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on the need to adopt bold policies, intensify research and innovations in TB diagnosis, treatment and control. This has spurred research that not only contributed to our better understanding of tuberculosis but also the development of new diagnostic tests, drugs, treatment regimens and management strategies for TB. There were many notable developments in these areas. Clinicians would be glad to know that the latest international and local clinical practice guidelines have been updated to keep them abreast of the latest evidence and recommendations. Since 2020, WHO has consolidated and updated multiple guidelines on tuberculosis, first with latent tuberculosis and lately with drug-susceptible tuberculosis in 2022. In keeping with the END TB strategy and national strategic plan for TB control, the Malaysian CPG development group produced its latest evidence-based guideline on the management of drug susceptible TB in 2021, taking into account the local challenges, healthcare resources and settings. This presentation will review the latest Malaysian Management of TB clinical practice guideline and related international guidelines. New recommendations on the management of latent and active drug-susceptible TB will be presented.