News
Estimated costs for patients with tuberculosis in LMICs (Portnoy et al., 2023)
Check out the latest study by Portnoy et al. (2023) on the economic costs of tuberculosis treatment in low- and middle-income countries. The study delves into the often-overlooked financial burdens faced by patients, even in the presence of ostensibly free treatment. By synthesizing data from 22 national surveys conducted between 2015 and 2022, the authors estimated per-patient costs across various categories—direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect. Notably, the findings revealed that mean direct medical costs stood at US$211, while direct non-medical and indirect costs were estimated at $512 and $530 per episode of tuberculosis, respectively. The publication underscores the urgency of addressing these economic challenges to enhance accessibility to tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment, aligning with the objectives outlined in the WHO's End TB Strategy.
Read more about this exciting work here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(23)00369-8/fulltext
Portnoy et al. (2023) reveals economic potential of novel TB vaccines in low- and middle-income countries
Discover the potential impact of novel tuberculosis vaccine introduction on economic growth in low- and middle-income countries through a recently published modeling study in PLOS Medicine. In this study, Assistant Professor Allison Portnoy uncovers significant potential for these vaccines to drive substantial GDP gains, fostering economic development in LMICs.
Read more about this exciting work here: https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004252
Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research Awarded $9.2 Million NIH Renewal
The Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (Prov/Bos CFAR) has received a five-year $9.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further its work promoting multi-disciplinary clinical, behavioral, translation, and basic science HIV research. Their research is particularly focused on marginalized populations including men who have sex with men (MSM), people who use substances, justice-involved persons, women, gender minorities, and at-risk youth. To achieve this goal, the Prov/Bos CFAR is committed to fostering emerging HIV investigators, expanding collaborative research, and promoting outreach dissemination and education domestically and within other resource-limited settings.
Portnoy et al. (2023) shows promise of novel TB vaccines for health equity in low-income and middle-income countries
Introducing a recently published paper in BMJ Global Health by Assistant Professor Allison Portnoy titled "The Potential Impact of Novel Tuberculosis Vaccines on Health Equity and Financial Protection in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries."
The study reveals that these vaccines can significantly reduce financial vulnerability and improve health outcomes, particularly for lower-income groups.
Read more about the groundbreaking findings and recommendations here: https://gh.bmj.com/content/8/7/e012466.full
Fall TBIG Schedule
Please find the Fall TBIG Schedule Below. All meetings will be held on Thursdays from 1-2pm in Crosstown Center (801 Mass Ave.) Conference Room 2020 (2nd Floor) as well as on Zoom at the following meeting ID:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/91665772569?pwd=NXFsTjBTN0szaEtFTXRHLzlBVk15QT09
Meeting ID: 916 6577 2569
Passcode: tbig
Schedule/Presenters:
- Sept 7 (open to public): Dr. Katherine Horton, PhD
- Sept 21 (internal to BU/BMC): Dr. Karen Jacobson, MD MPH
- Oct 5 (open to public): Dr. Linda Harrison, PhD
- Nov 2 (internal to BU/BMC): Dr. Kayoko Shioda, PhD, DVM
- Nov 9 (open to public): Dr. Galit Alter, PhD
- Nov 30 (internal to BU/BMC): Dr. Akshay Gupte, PhD
- Dec 7 (open to public): Dr. Tania Thomas, MD
- Dec 14 (internal to BU/BMC): Dr. Tara Bouton, MD, MPH
BU/BMC TIARA ARC Kick Off Meeting 7/17/23
- LOCATION:
- Hybrid - Crosstown Center Conference Room 2128, 801 Mass Ave.
- REGISTRATION LINK:
- https://bostonmedicalcenter.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xd6qiti9RDGZGw73ioUT3w#/registration
Interdisciplinary Approach to Tuberculosis Research Receives Funding for 2023-2024
We are thrilled to announce that our application to become an ARC was officially accepted and we received a funds to formalize ourselves as a TB group and fund a few potential pilot projects. We plan to hold a “TIARA Kickoff Meeting” sometime in mid-July to which we will invite groups from across BU’s campuses, try to get others excited and involved, and discuss aims for the year. Please stay tuned for a date/time for that meeting! See photo for celebratory "ARC" cake!
See the official announcement here: https://www.bumc.bu.edu/evanscenteribr/2023/05/18/arcs-receiving-funding-for-2023-2024/
Second high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis announced for September 2023
Preparing for the UN High-level Meeting on the fight against tuberculosis, 2023
The United Nations General Assembly will hold the second high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis on 22 September 2023. The theme of the meeting is: “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular, by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care.”
Learn more here: https://www.who.int/teams/global-tuberculosis-programme/unga-high-level-meeting-on-the-fight-against-tb/second-high-level-meeting
Submissions for #UnionConf2023 Now Open
We are excited to share that The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2023 will take place in-person from 15-18 November in Paris (Venue: Palais de Congress). The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Transforming Evidence into Practice’. The Union is now accepting submissions for Abstracts, Symposia, Satellite Sessions, Post-Graduate Courses and Workshops for the upcoming Union World Conference on Lung Health 2023. Submissions will be open until 6 April.
Read more here