EDITORIAL: TB-SPEED TOWARDS THE END OF THE PROJECT
In 4 years, TB-Speed has carried out several studies aiming at reducing childhood mortality due to tuberculosis (TB) by developing, testing, and eventually delivering an innovative, decentralized, cost-effective, and feasible childhood TB diagnostic strategy to increase case finding in children.
First results of the TB-Speed testing approach are already available. The results of the TB-Speed Pneumonia study were presented at TBScience Late Breaker Session 2021 during the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health. TB-Speed actively contributed to the WHO 2021 consolidated Guidelines and Operational Handbook on the management of tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents. Project will be completed in September 2022.
Country teams are currently actively following up children in the TB-Speed Decentralization, TB-Speed HIV and TB-Speed SAM studies. The international teams based at University of Bordeaux, MU-JHU and IRD are actively coordinating final data management and monitoring.
All results will be presented at an International Restitution Symposium to be held on June 9th & 10th, 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique followed by National Restitution Symposia in countries.
This last year of the project is crucial to inform international and national stakeholders about the project findings, to support countries in their transition plan to scale up the project’s findings and strengthen the engagement with civil society to increase the public awareness about childhood tuberculosis.
More than ever, after this unprecedented pandemic and its negative impact on TB control, there are urgent needs to invest to End TB and Save Lives but still keeping children on a frontline of the agenda.
TB-Speed – Newsletter 5 – April 2022
