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Arab News
16-04-2025
- Health
- Arab News
How falling cases of tuberculosis in Iraq reflect a wider health system recovery
DUBAI: Sameer Abbas Mohamed, a Syrian refugee from Qamishli who fled to Iraq in 2013, was terrified when his one-year-old son, Yusuf, was diagnosed with tuberculosis. He knew the disease was life-threatening — and highly contagious. 'I have two older boys, and I was scared they would catch the disease,' said Mohamed, who lives in Qushtapa refugee camp for Syrians in Irbil, home to most of the 300,000 Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. 'Yusuf was also very young and I worried about losing him.' Mohamed consulted several doctors when Yusuf began coughing. Scans revealed a mass on the right anterior wall of his chest. A diagnosis was finally made when a general surgeon reported the case to Iraq's National TB Program. Following surgery to remove the mass, Yusuf returned home, where nurses delivered an all-oral regimen, monitored his treatment, tracked his progress, offered support, and educated the family on isolation measures to prevent the disease's spread. Within six months, Yusuf was cured. His journey reflects the progress made in combating TB in Iraq, especially the drug-resistant variant that has emerged in the conflict-affected country — which until recently had the region's highest prevalence of TB cases. Iraq's NTP, supported by the International Organization for Migration, the Global Fund, and the World Health Organization, is tracking TB among displaced communities using advanced diagnostic technologies and artificial intelligence. Giorgi Gigauri, IOM Iraq's chief of mission, told Arab News that TB detection and timely treatment have helped to drive a significant decline in cases in Iraq. This was achieved, he said, through a tech-driven strategy, including the installation of the advanced 10-color GeneXpert detection machine across Baghdad, Basrah, Najaf and Nineveh, enabling faster diagnoses. IOM's mobile medical teams were also equipped with 10 AI-supported chest X-ray devices, known as CAD4-TB, which can detect the disease in seconds — even in high-burden areas such as refugee camps and prisons. • TB is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium that primarily affects the lungs. • It spreads through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. • Symptoms include a persistent cough, chest pain, fever, night sweats and weight loss. • With proper treatment using antibiotics, TB is curable, though drug-resistant strains exist. Routine screenings by these mobile units helped to increase the detection rate of drug-resistant TB from 2 percent to 19 percent, and drug-sensitive TB from 4 percent to 14 percent between 2019 and 2024, according to IOM data. After screening, sputum samples are taken to central labs, making testing accessible for those unable to travel or living in areas with limited health care access. Thanks to these efforts, TB cases in Iraq have fallen dramatically — from 45 to 23 cases per 100,000 people between 2013 and 2023. The current prevalence is 15 per 100,000, with an estimated mortality rate of three per 100,000. In many ways, these numbers reflect Iraq's wider public health recovery after decades of instability, including the crippling sanctions of the 1990s, the successive bouts of violence that followed the 2003 US-led invasion, and the 2014 rise of Daesh. 'Despite years of instability, progress made in the detection, treatment and prevention of the spread of TB restored trust in health care services by strengthening infrastructure and extending care to vulnerable groups like prisoners and displaced populations,' Gigauri told Arab News. 'It also supports upskilling of health professions and creates sustainable systems that can support responses to other communicable diseases. 'Efforts made by all partners under NTP have contributed to national recovery by addressing urgent health needs and laying a foundation for timely detection of preventable and treatable diseases.' Despite a period of relative stability, Iraq still faces considerable humanitarian pressures amid a fragile economy and an unpredictable security landscape. According to UNHCR, more than 1 million Iraqis remain internally displaced, with 115,000 living in 21 camps across the Kurdistan Region. Roughly five million displaced people have returned to their towns and villages since Daesh's territorial defeat in 2017. But these areas often lack basic infrastructure, increasing the risk of TB outbreaks. In Mosul — Iraq's second-largest city, which endured three years under Daesh — those unable to afford housing live in overcrowded settlements, where malnutrition and exposure to the elements weaken immunity. The mobile medical teams have been a game-changer for these vulnerable communities. Digital X-rays equipped with CAD4-TB, powered by AI, now enable quick and accurate TB detection — a stark improvement from the three-month wait many patients once faced for CT scans. This technology also reduces radiation exposure. A single CT scan can expose patients to the equivalent of 300 X-rays, according to Dr. Bashar Hashim Abbas, manager of the Chest and Respiratory Diseases clinic in Mosul. Abbas said that mobile medical teams and digital X-ray devices have been vital for reaching remote communities and detainees who lack clinic access. 'The mobility of these machines helped us examine prisoners who were difficult to bring into the clinic due to complex security protocols. We discovered many cases, especially multidrug-resistant TB patients, in this way,' Abbas told Arab News. 'We conduct X-rays and take sputum samples for further lab investigations. Therefore, we take the diagnostic tools to them as much as we can, scaling up TB prevention and providing treatment.' A centralized disease surveillance system, District Health Information Software 2, allows lab results to be registered and coordinated across labs, facilities, and the Iraqi Ministry of Health, improving routine TB reporting. IOM's TB services reached 6,398 people in 2024, with 120 drug-resistant TB cases treated. These efforts have been bolstered by $11 million in Global Fund support since 2022. A key breakthrough has been shifting the treatment of multidrug-resistant TB from a burdensome series of injections to a simpler, all-oral regimen, which shortened recovery time from two years to six months and significantly improved outcomes. 'Previously, treatments involved daily injections for at least six to eight months, which were difficult to sustain for patients and treatment outcomes were relatively poor at 50 percent,' Grania Brigden, senior TB adviser at the Global Fund, told Arab News. 'However, the innovation in treatment through the all-oral regimen has reduced treatment to six months with a 75 percent to 80 percent success rate.' Although no new TB vaccines are currently available, researchers are optimistic about developing more effective ones in the next five years. The existing BCG vaccine offers only partial protection and is less effective for adults and adolescents, who are more prone to transmission. New vaccines are vital for achieving the WHO's End TB Strategy goals — reducing TB mortality by 95 percent and incidence by 90 percent by 2035. Brigden said ongoing investment is key to meeting these targets. Meanwhile, the Global Fund is focused on halting TB's spread in Iraq. 'We have invested significantly in commodity security to ensure that everyone who tests positive or is notified of TB is put on treatment,' said Brigden. Thanks to these steps, many — like young Yusuf — are alive today who might otherwise have succumbed without proper care. 'The discussions of tuberculosis we had with the nurse who gave the medication had a positive impact on us,' said Yusuf's father, Mohamed. 'The nurse gave us information on how to isolate him after the first two to three weeks. He reassured us that if we gave him the medication regularly and made sure there were no gaps, everything would be getting well. 'This made us less scared.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oxford Nanopore inks infectious disease analysis pact with Cepheid
Oxford Nanopore Technologies has teamed up with Cepheid to speed up infectious disease genomic analysis, blocking out recent noise of acquisition vulnerability. The UK biotech, a former star of the London initial public offering (IPO) scene, said the strategic collaboration will help return genomic results of bacterial and fungal pathogens within hours, compared to days experienced with currently available technology. Shares in London-listed Nanopore opened 6% higher at market open on 10 April compared to market open on 9 April, the day the announcement was made. Nanopore and US-based Cepheid have already completed a proof-of-concept study that saw the two companies' technologies combined for infectious disease analysis. The new research uses only workflow now sees Cepheid's cartridge-based GeneXpert system used Oxford Nanopore's sequencing platform. Nanopore was spun out of Oxford University in 2005 with pioneering technology for sequencing nucleic acids on handheld devices. All the company's sequencing devices work by analysing long DNA or RNA fragments by monitoring an electrical current as the nucleic acids are passed through a protein nanopore. The collaboration with Cepheid – who sells the most widely installed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic instrument in the world – aims to create a scalable, automated, and end-to-end solution for simplified nanopore sequencing workflows. The analysis is intended for use within a range of settings, including labs lacking in expertise that would not have done in-house sequencing. Profiling bacterial and fungal pathogens from culture isolates will be the first port of call for the partnership, with analysis directly from positive blood cultures also in the pipeline. There is also a potential expansion into further infectious disease use cases, such as cancer and human genetics, and eventually regulatory approved clinical diagnostics. "This collaboration represents an important step forward in delivering new and improved workflow options to better understand infectious diseases," said Dr. Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies. "By partnering to integrate our richer data, rapid insights, and accessible and affordable sequencing technology with Cepheid's GeneXpert architecture, we are establishing a workflow foundation that is positioned for future expansion into scaled routine clinical use." The partnership with Cepheid comes nearly a month after Dr. Sanghera admitted to the Financial Times that the company had become a takeover target. Nanopore went public in 2021 on the back of surging sales for its sequencing devices in the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, it was seen as a major coup for the London stock market, with companies generally preferring to tap the more lucrative exchanges on Wall Street. However, sales dried up for the company as demand for pandemic-related products waned. Despite shares having fallen 85% from a 2021 speak, Nanopore still boasts a market cap just north of £1bn. Other companies partnered with Nanopore include France-based bioMérieux, a biotech that increased its stake in the UK company via a $85m investment in late 2023. Like Cepheid, bioMérieux is working with Nanopore in infectious disease analysis – specifically developing a test for determining the antibiotic resistance of tuberculosis. "Oxford Nanopore inks infectious disease analysis pact with Cepheid" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Zawya
24-03-2025
- Health
- Zawya
United Against Tuberculosis: Ghana's Private and Public Health Sectors Join Forces
For weeks, Mansah, a resident of a suburb of Kumasi, Ghana's second-largest city, had been battling a persistent cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss. Fear gnawed at her- she suspected Tuberculosis (TB), a disease she knew could have serious consequences. Seeking a diagnosis and treatment at a public health facility would have meant spending nearly an entire day navigating long queues, a challenge given her demanding job. Like many others, she preferred seeking medical care at a private facility, even though TB services were traditionally not readily available there. For over a decade, Ghana had struggled to increase TB case notifications with annual detections stagnant at around 15,000 cases-leaving an estimated 60% of cases infections undiagnosed and untreated. This meant that thousands of people with TB were not receiving the care they needed, fueling the spread of the disease. However, a new initiative by the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) is rewriting the narrative. Through a Private-Public Mix (PPM) approach, free TB diagnostic and treatment services are now integrated into private healthcare facilities, bringing communities closer. This means that individuals like Mansah can now receive TB diagnosis and treatment at private health centers in their neighborhoods—free of charge. Implemented by Aurum Institute Ghana under the guidance of the National Tuberculosis Control Program, with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and funding from the Global Fund, this initiative is making significant strides. In its first year alone, it has contributed 602 TB cases, representing 3% of the 20,154 TB cases notified nationally in 2024—a critical step toward closing the gap on 'missing' TB cases. Since implementation began in 2024, the project has achieved the following: Training 375 private health workers on TB screening, diagnosis, treatment, and psychosocial support. i. Equipping 20 private health facilities with GeneXpert machines for rapid TB diagnosis. ii. Providing essential logistics and medical supplies in line with national TB protocols. iii. Implementing on-site coaching and mentorship programs through targeted supportive supervision. iv. Verifying and validating TB cases through rigorous data auditing. v. Enrolling 98% of diagnosed TB patients onto treatment to ensure continuity of care. vi. Engaging key professional health associations, including the Association of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners, Community Practice Pharmacists Association, Over-the-Counter Medicine Sellers Association, and Private Health Association of Ghana, to sustain the intervention. A key innovation of this initiative is the deployment of 37 TB Champions—individuals who have been successfully treated for TB—to work with over-the-counter medicine sellers and pharmacies. These champions are trained to: i. Support TB screening, sputum collection, and transportation for testing at pharmacies and medicine outlets. ii. Follow up with positive cases, ensuring they are linked to care and supported through treatment adherence. iii. Conduct contact tracing and enroll eligible individuals in TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) programs. iv. Provide psychosocial support, helping to reduce stigma and promote early diagnosis. Notably, TB screening services at pharmacies and over-the-counter medicine sellers contributed 10% of the total TB cases notified by the private sector in 2024. WHO has played a crucial role in providing technical support, particularly in fostering collaboration between district health managers and private sector providers to ensure long-term sustainability. This has significantly improved working relationships between public and private health facilities, with private hospitals now serving as GeneXpert testing sites for public health facilities in implementing districts. For Mansah and countless others who rely on private healthcare, TB diagnostic and treatment services are now more accessible than ever. The initiative continues to evolve, incorporating additional elements such as expanded contact investigations and TB preventive treatment—interventions previously dominated by the public health sector due to workforce limitations in private facilities. With continued collaboration between public and private sectors, Ghana is making meaningful progress towards ending TB as a public health threat—ensuring that no one, regardless of where they seek healthcare, is left behind. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO), Ghana.
Zawya
24-03-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Togo makes progress in the fight against tuberculosis
In January 2024, Yao*, a 67-year-old farmer living in Agou, about 100 kilometres north-west of Lomé, experienced unusual discomfort that led him to seek medical attention. These included chest pains and unexplained intense fatigue that lasted for a fortnight. Following tests, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). 'I was surprised and very sad to find out that I had the disease. I had suffered too much and I wanted to be cured by any means necessary,' he recalls. In Togo, 30 out of every 100 000 people contracted the disease in 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2024 global report on TB. The country has implemented several initiatives to improve the fight against TB, as Professor Abdou Gafarou Gbadamassi, Coordinator of Togo's National Tuberculosis Control Programme (PNLT), explains: 'Several combined interventions are enabling us to make progress in the fight against this disease, focusing in particular on case-finding, early detection, and the effective treatment of patients.' At the heart of early detection is the optimization of GeneXpert machines which enable sputum samples from patients to be rapidly tested to confirm the disease. This approach, recommended by WHO as a first-line diagnostic tool, has made a significant contribution to strengthening case detection in Togo. Until 2020, the country had only 15 GeneXpert machines across 14 sites, but this has increased to 52 sites over the past four years. Professor Gbadamassi is delighted with this development, which he says has boosted the country's progress: 'Thanks to this notable improvement in GeneXpert capacity, early case detection has been reduced from 72 to 24 hours nationwide. This is helping to move our country towards the eradication of tuberculosis. 'Other key areas in the fight against tuberculosis include community involvement to ensure patient-centred treatment, free treatment for all forms of tuberculosis, and nutritional support for the most vulnerable patients.' Thanks to the availability of a machine at the Prefectural Hospital Centre (CHP) of Agou, where Yao sought help, he was able to start treatment quickly. After the first few weeks, which he found difficult due to the high treatment dosages, he felt his condition improve. 'The medication made me very weak at first. After the first two months, I had an initial check-up and the results were negative. I had further checks in the fifth and sixth months, after which I was declared cured of tuberculosis. I suffered so much at first that I was convinced the disease would kill me!' In June 2022, a 'FAST' strategy focused on active research at four sites in the Agoè Nyivé and Golfe districts of Lomé, enabled the detection of nearly 10 000 TB cases in the period to 2024 (3041 cases in 2022, 3065 cases in 2023, and 3129 in 2024). These figures were a significant improvement on the 2312 and 2418 cased detected in 2020 and 2021 respectively. From 2020 to the end of 2023, an investigative project contributing to the elimination of TB in Africa also studied contagious patients in 35 diagnostic and treatment centres (CDTs). This allowed for early detection of TB patients and the provision of preventive chemotherapy treatment to the uninfected, including children under 15 and people living with HIV. Since 2024, this intervention has been extended to the other 55 CDTs, with the support of the Global Fund. Yorouma Djobo, CDT focal point at the Agou CHP, has seven years' experience as a health worker caring for TB patients, also providing them with essential advice. He is responsible for screening, initiating treatment, and treatment monitoring of TB patients in the Agou health district. Djobo sees an average of three TB patients every month, and emphasizes the role of the family in supporting them. 'Our role is to ensure that everyone who is screened receives the necessary treatment and recovers their health. Once the family has understood the harmful effects of the disease, they become our main support and take charge of the patient's treatment, adopting the advice given to patients in order to help them.' In 2022, Djobo was among 95 focal points trained in all aspects of TB, including paediatric TB, therapeutic patient education, management guidelines and preventive treatment. That same year, 60 laboratory technicians were trained on GeneXpert stool diagnosis, and in 2024, 65 laboratory technicians were trained in bacilloscopy diagnosis of tuberculosis. WHO's support includes the provision of experts, technical support for the development and validation of documents and guidelines, and financial assistance for key events or activities. At the end of 2023, the Organization also initiated the so-called BBNT approach (initials for Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger and Togo) as a framework for exchanging experiences in the fight against HIV, viral hepatitis, TB and malaria, supporting field visits to share best practices in these countries. For Dr Laconi Kaaga, head of the TB Control Programme at the WHO country office in Togo, the main aim of WHO's support is to ensure that 'every at-risk person has access to rapid and effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis'. Having regained his health and resumed his work as a farmer, Yao encourages everyone to seek medical attention if they suffer from a persistent cough, and to follow the advice of the medical staff until they are completely cured. He also has a special message for patients' families: 'My family has been essential to my recovery. Without their support, I would have died of TB! If a member of your family has this disease, stay close to them, help them to stay motivated, and never give up hope.'
Zawya
14-03-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Government Flags Off Essential Health Commodities After Reinstatement of United States Funding
The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the U.S. Government and Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS), has flagged off a consignment of critical health commodities to counties and health facilities across the country. This follows the reinstatement of U.S. funding, which had been paused, causing supply gaps in life-saving medications such as Nevirapine syrup, Artesunate for malaria, GeneXpert cartridges for TB diagnosis, and EID/VL testing kits. Speaking at the event, principal Secretary State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni emphasized the need for transparent and equitable distribution of the commodities, urging counties and faith-based facilities to avoid stockpiling to ensure all Kenyans, especially vulnerable populations, receive the care they need. While welcoming the funding reinstatement, the PS highlighted the urgency of strengthening domestic resource mobilization to reduce reliance on external funding and build a resilient health system. She reaffirmed government commitment to ensuring uninterrupted access to essential health services, working with partners like MEDS and county governments to safeguard the health of all Kenyans. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.
