Tuberculosis is America’s biggest public health threat, greater than Zika, Ebola, and dengue fever combined. The latest news from the CDC that TB cases have increased in the last year underscored what activists have been voicing for several years: we don’t have enough funding in the US to keep TB in check, let alone work toward elimination.
Yesterday, MCN’s Chief Medical Officer, Ed Zuroweste, MD, published an op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle [2] emphasizing the seriousness of the situation -- and calling on our leaders to fund domestic and international efforts to eliminate TB:
“Last month, President Obama asked for and was refused $1.8 billion to combat Zika. Meanwhile, TB advocates are asking for just $400 million to put us on the path to properly address TB globally through USAID, with an additional $243 million for the domestic fight — peanuts in comparison, but a significant step to impede this recent spread of the leading global infectious killer, and less than the cost of controlling a major TB outbreak — should we ignore this latest news.”
What can you do? Learn more, and encourage others to learn more, about the spread of TB in the US and the importance of funding research, innovation, and case management:
- Read (and share!) the full article [2]: Please share it with colleagues and advocates on Twitter and Facebook, and through email and listservs!
- Celebrate with MCN: Our Health Network team was selected by the CDC for a TB Elimination Champion award [3] for our work in supporting TB control!
- Learn about the latest research: A researcher out of Brandeis University used Health Network data, and published her findings on case management in mobile populations [4]. We also ran a very interesting Q&A [5] with her on her journey and her perspectives on TB.
Like what you see? Amplify our collective voice with a contribution [6].
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