Asked by: Baroness Stern (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Global Tuberculosis Report 2019, published on 17 October; and what steps they intend to take to ensure that their recent investment in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria improves global access to new treatments for drug-resistant Tuberculosis.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The UK Government recognises that the Global Tuberculosis Report 2019 provides important evidence on the challenges in tackling tuberculosis as an issue of global public health importance. It shows that progress has been made, particularly improvements in the number of cases of tuberculosis identified and increases in testing coverage for drug resistant tuberculosis. 7 million people with tuberculosis were identified globally in 2018; 600,000 more people than in 2017. Additionally, the proportion of people with a tuberculosis diagnosis who were tested for drug resistance rose from 41% in 2017 to 51% in 2018.
Investments in the Global Fund have played a major role in tackling the global epidemic of tuberculosis. Dealing with drug resistant tuberculosis is a key focus of the Global Fund through prevention, detection and treatment, including supporting countries to introduce bedaquiline and delamanid, two ground breaking new drugs for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. The new drugs have fewer side effects and are more effective, increasing the chances that people will stay on the treatment and be cured.
We work with the Global Fund to ensure that our investment continues to support advances to improve access to treatment for both drug sensitive and drug resistant tuberculosis.