Overcoming constraints
WHO/Dominic Chavez
An MDR-TB patient puts his left hand on a frosted glass door at the International Center for Tuberculosis in Manila, Philippines.
For countries scaling-up their response to MDR-TB, the challenge can often seem overwhelming. The WHO and TB experts from across the world have tried to make it easier by identifying some key policy constraints and ways of overcoming them:
- Filling the gaps in basic TB control to prevent MDR-TB
- Addressing TB ethics and human rights
- Investing in human resources
- Addressing laboratory needs
- Providing care to MDR-TB and XDR-TB patients
- Strengthening TB infection control
- Promoting rational use of anti-TB drugs
- Ensuring access to high-quality first and second-line anti-TB drugs
- Promoting TB research and development
- Financing scale up of MDR-TB and XDR-TB programmes