SEMINAR FOR NEW TB DRUGS TRIALS

SEMINAR FOR NEW TB DRUGS

A one-day intensive seminar for clinical trials of new TB Drugs was held for 30 health workers at Ifakara Health Institute at Bagamoyo on Tuesday. 

The six-hours orientation went into depth of terms and conditions of trial runs for new Tuberculosis Drugs, consent forms, methodology, investigations, products, risks and benefits  about the whole exercise. The Attendees were all health officers from the National Leprosy & TB Programme in Bagamoyo District.

The marathon seminar was conducted under the able guidance of experienced coordinator of the project, Dr. Omar Juma with a punctuation of tea break and snacks for the participants. Some  time was also spent on the question-answer session. Close cooperation and supervision was evident between the workers of Ifakara Health Institute and the health officers within the Bagamoyo District.

The multi-million TShs. clinical trials for new TB drugs is being financed by TB Alliance which is not-for-profit organization and is  dedicated to the discovery of new, better and faster curing tuberculosis drugs.

·         TB is one of the world’s deadliest pandemic diseases and is becoming increasingly resistant to current drugs.

·         TB kills 1.5 million people every year –over  4100 people every day –one person every 20 seconds.

·         TB is the leading infectious killer of people with HIV/AIDS

·         TB is second to HIV/AIDS as the leading infectious cause of death of adults world-wide.

TB Alliance operates with support from various organizations including Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; European Commission, Global Health Innovation Technology Fund; Irish Aid, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; UNITAID; UK Depertment for International Development; US Agency for International Development and the US Food & Drug Administration. 

Story & Pictures by Abdul Hai

Bagamoyo News

Co-ordinator of the TB new drugs clinical trials Dr. Juma Omar MD, MPH  talking to participants of the one-day intensive seminar at Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo.

Participants at the one day seminar in the conference room of Ifakara Health Institute, Bagamoyo.

A group picture of participants posing for the cameramen immediately after the six hours seminar. The seminar was conducted by Dr. Omar Juma (middle row in zebra striped Tshirt).