Purpose of Review: The present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology, with a special focus on the situation in the countries of the Mediterranean region. Recent Findings: The year 2015 was of crucial importance for the global strategy of TB control: the previous “Stop TB Strategy” came to the end, achieving remarkable results, and a new program, called “End TB Strategy”, was issued by the World Health Organization. Summary: Mediterranean countries range from low- to intermediate TB-burden, but they present great variability in terms of healthcare access and programs for TB/drug-resistant TB control. Moreover, humanitarian emergencies are now affecting several parts of the Mediterranean region, with a significant impact on the local TB epidemiology. The spread of drug-resistant TB remains a major concern. In this regard, for the first time after 50 years, two new anti-TB drugs were approved and released in 2012/2013. Moreover, “old drugs” have been repurposed within new regimens, whose efficacy and tolerability are now under investigation.
Tuberculosis in the Mediterranean Region / Spinicci M.; Zammarchi L.; Bartoloni A.. - In: CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS. - ISSN 2196-3045. - ELETTRONICO. - 4:(2017), pp. 89-94. [10.1007/s40475-017-0108-4]
Tuberculosis in the Mediterranean Region
Spinicci M.;Zammarchi L.;Bartoloni A.
2017
Abstract
Purpose of Review: The present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemiology, with a special focus on the situation in the countries of the Mediterranean region. Recent Findings: The year 2015 was of crucial importance for the global strategy of TB control: the previous “Stop TB Strategy” came to the end, achieving remarkable results, and a new program, called “End TB Strategy”, was issued by the World Health Organization. Summary: Mediterranean countries range from low- to intermediate TB-burden, but they present great variability in terms of healthcare access and programs for TB/drug-resistant TB control. Moreover, humanitarian emergencies are now affecting several parts of the Mediterranean region, with a significant impact on the local TB epidemiology. The spread of drug-resistant TB remains a major concern. In this regard, for the first time after 50 years, two new anti-TB drugs were approved and released in 2012/2013. Moreover, “old drugs” have been repurposed within new regimens, whose efficacy and tolerability are now under investigation.
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