Zimbabwe is among the top ten countries in the world with the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infection, as well as multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). MDR-TB is a form of TB that does not respond to the standard treatment with two of the most potent anti-TB drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. MDR-TB is more difficult and costly to treat and has a higher risk of death and disability.
However, Zimbabwean scientists are not giving up on the fight against this deadly disease. The University of Zimbabwe Clinical Trials Research Centre (UZ-CTRC) has launched a research program to test a new treatment regimen that can protect the families of people with MDR-TB from getting infected. The research program, which is supported by the Advancing Clinical Therapeutics Globally (ACTG), is recruiting contacts of MDR-TB patients who will undergo trials to find the right TB preventive therapies that can effectively prevent MDR-TB.
The research program is part of a global effort to find new and better ways to treat and prevent TB, especially its drug-resistant forms. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers, claiming nearly 1.4 million lives in 2022. About 10 million people fell ill with TB in 2022, of whom 3.4 million were not diagnosed or treated. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the situation, as many TB services have been disrupted and many people have delayed seeking care.
The WHO has recently issued new recommendations for the treatment of MDR-TB and pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR-TB), based on the latest evidence from clinical trials. The new recommendations include a shorter, all-oral regimen that consists of four drugs: bedaquiline, pretomanid, linezolid, and moxifloxacin. This regimen has been shown to have higher success rates, lower adverse events, and lower costs than the previous standard-of-care regimens.
The UZ-CTRC is one of the few research centers in Africa that is conducting trials to evaluate the new regimen and its impact on the transmission of MDR-TB. The center has a history of conducting successful TB research, such as the shortening of TB treatment regimens from nine months to four months. The center also works closely with the community to raise awareness and support for TB patients and their families.
Mr Stanford Chimutimunzeve, a community advisory board member of the UZ-CTRC, said that the research program is important to control MDR-TB and to protect vulnerable groups, such as children and people living with HIV. He said that the center is looking for more participants to join the program, which is expected to run for more than three years.
Ms Amanda Sambadzai, a TB survivor and health promoter, said that many MDR-TB patients face stigma and discrimination, which prevent them from seeking care and adhering to treatment. She said that the center provides home visits and counseling sessions for the patients, as well as education and advocacy for the community.
The UZ-CTRC is hopeful that the research program will contribute to the national and global TB response, and help achieve the targets of the End TB Strategy, which aims to end the global TB epidemic by 2035. The strategy calls for a 90% reduction in TB deaths and an 80% reduction in TB incidence by 2030, compared with 2015 levels.
The UZ-CTRC is also optimistic that the research program will inspire more Zimbabwean scientists and health workers to join the fight against TB and to find innovative and effective solutions for the people affected by the disease.
Source: AllAfrica
