Latest news with #MDR-TB
TimesLIVE
26-06-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Specialised TB wing at King Dinizulu Hospital on track after stalling in 2011
A specialist tuberculosis wing at Durban's King Dinizulu Hospital which stalled in 2011 because of financial setbacks is back on track and expected to treat patients in May 2026. The R154m outpatient wing will be the first facility dedicated to treat patients with multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR) in KZN. Inspecting the project on Thursday, public works and infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer revealed that the project had stalled since 2011 but was revived in June last year as part of the department's push to unblock stalled projects and improve infrastructure delivery. 'The previous contractor in the TB wing went insolvent in 2011 and due to severe monetary constraints that brings, the project could be revived only last year,' he said. 'It's very unfortunate there had to be over a 10-year delay but I think it also shows how our department and the department of health are committed to unblocking these blocked projects and get them moving forward.' Dr Tumelo Mabesa said the hospital, which is the only facility to treat drug resistant TB, has taken space reserved for inpatients to treat TB outpatients, which limited its capacity. 'Even the pharmacy was using a space of the ward, so by taking that space means we are reducing the capacity of the wards. Once those services are moved to this new wing then those spaces will be freed and we will have an additional space. 'So in addition to the outpatients services for both MDR and XDR TB functionality, we will also be increasing the capacity of the hospital by 64 beds.' The project, however, has not been without challenges, mainly the disruption by locals demanding more community involvement at the beginning of the project in July last year. Meyer said they were limited by the specialised nature of the facility. 'It's a difficult project in that there's a lot of legislation and regulations and all those things that needs to be met which also means we can't have as many EPWP workers on site as we would like because it's such a technical job. It's very important that where we can give jobs to communities we do so, but in very technical jobs like this we also have to keep that in consideration,' he said. Contractor Mbuso Makhathini of Makhathini Projects said they tried to work with locals where they could. 'In the cases that we could, we have been engaging them as subcontractors, getting them involved, uplifting them in terms of their CIDB grading and assisting them on how to grow their businesses.' Meyer said those disruptions were quickly addressed when the department, the contractor and ward councillor met the community. There have been 23 job opportunities for locals so far in the project and the department said the number is going to increase. Meyer added that the long-standing challenge of the payment of contractors also hindered progress but they were working with the National Treasury and the health department of health to address it.
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
BJ Medical College to undertake ‘targeted' genome sequencing of TB samples to get accurate picture of mutation
1 2 3 Pune: BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital will now undertake 'targeted' genome sequencing of 50 tuberculosis samples. These samples would be sequenced as per World Health Organisation (WHO)'s genome Atlas to analyse the genetic makeup of mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. BJ Medical College is now undertaking 'targeted' genome sequencing of samples from 50 TB patients to get a more accurate picture of mutation in the bacteria. Targeted genome sequencing involves focusing on specific, predefined regions of genome for sequencing, rather than sequencing the entire genome (whole-genome sequencing). This helps researchers and clinicians who want to investigate specific genes or genomic regions of interest. The college had carried out genome sequencing during Covid-19 pandemic. As per WHO, India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from tuberculosis (TB). Also, India accounts for almost 26% of drug-resistant TB cases from across the world. To expedite TB elimination, the central govt's Dare2eraD TB programme (data driven research to eradicate TB), launched on March 24, 2022 undertook whole genome sequencing of 32,000 TB samples to identify drug resistance and improve treatment outcomes. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adidas Three Shorts With 60% Discount, Limited Stock Available Original Adidas Shop Now Undo As part of this initiative, BJ Medical College had sent 1,000 samples to the department of biotechnology. Dr Rajesh Kartyakarte, head of microbiology department at the college, said, "The central govt's programme entails undertaking whole genome sequencing, which is very time consuming and expensive. However, we are now aiming to focus on targeted 'genome sequencing' for which we will refer to WHO's genome atlas. TB's genome is very big and so it is time consuming but with targeted sequencing we can find the type of mycobacterium and the exact drug resistance. If a particular drug acts on a certain protein and that protein has mutated, it means that the bacteria is resistant to that drug. We have received funding for the same and will soon be able to undertake targeted genome sequencing, maybe in a month or two, once we procure the kits." Dr Sanjay Gaikwad, head of pulmonology department at BJ Medical College, said, "It is very crucial to know whether the patient is suffering from any drug resistance and, if they are, then we need to know from which drug. Based on this information, the drug treatment regime is determined. As of now, we use CBNAAT tests to determine the drug-resistant TB. With the help of this test, we can know whether it is R-resistant or R-sensitive or H-resistant or H-sensitive. " CBNAAT, or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test, is a rapid molecular diagnostic test primarily used for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) and detecting rifampicin resistance, an indicator of MDR-TB. BOX – 28% (28 lakh) of world's TB cases are diagnosed in India every year – 3,31,000 deaths due to TB in the country in 2022 – The Centre's goal is to eliminate TB by 2025 – Drug-resistant TB rate is 7% to 10% Pune: BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital will now undertake 'targeted' genome sequencing of 50 tuberculosis samples. These samples would be sequenced as per World Health Organisation (WHO)'s genome Atlas to analyse the genetic makeup of mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB. BJ Medical College is now undertaking 'targeted' genome sequencing of samples from 50 TB patients to get a more accurate picture of mutation in the bacteria. Targeted genome sequencing involves focusing on specific, predefined regions of genome for sequencing, rather than sequencing the entire genome (whole-genome sequencing). This helps researchers and clinicians who want to investigate specific genes or genomic regions of interest. The college had carried out genome sequencing during Covid-19 pandemic. As per WHO, India has the highest burden of TB, with two deaths occurring every three minutes from tuberculosis (TB). Also, India accounts for almost 26% of drug-resistant TB cases from across the world. To expedite TB elimination, the central govt's Dare2eraD TB programme (data driven research to eradicate TB), launched on March 24, 2022 undertook whole genome sequencing of 32,000 TB samples to identify drug resistance and improve treatment outcomes. As part of this initiative, BJ Medical College had sent 1,000 samples to the department of biotechnology. Dr Rajesh Kartyakarte, head of microbiology department at the college, said, "The central govt's programme entails undertaking whole genome sequencing, which is very time consuming and expensive. However, we are now aiming to focus on targeted 'genome sequencing' for which we will refer to WHO's genome atlas. TB's genome is very big and so it is time consuming but with targeted sequencing we can find the type of mycobacterium and the exact drug resistance. If a particular drug acts on a certain protein and that protein has mutated, it means that the bacteria is resistant to that drug. We have received funding for the same and will soon be able to undertake targeted genome sequencing, maybe in a month or two, once we procure the kits." Dr Sanjay Gaikwad, head of pulmonology department at BJ Medical College, said, "It is very crucial to know whether the patient is suffering from any drug resistance and, if they are, then we need to know from which drug. Based on this information, the drug treatment regime is determined. As of now, we use CBNAAT tests to determine the drug-resistant TB. With the help of this test, we can know whether it is R-resistant or R-sensitive or H-resistant or H-sensitive. " CBNAAT, or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test, is a rapid molecular diagnostic test primarily used for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) and detecting rifampicin resistance, an indicator of MDR-TB. BOX – 28% (28 lakh) of world's TB cases are diagnosed in India every year – 3,31,000 deaths due to TB in the country in 2022 – The Centre's goal is to eliminate TB by 2025 – Drug-resistant TB rate is 7% to 10%
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court Says Trump Administration Must Release Frozen USAID Funds
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, ordered the Trump administration to comply with a district court order demanding it release all foreign aid funds frozen as part of President Donald Trump's dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development on Wednesday. The Trump administration must now release all of the USAID contract funds frozen by the State Department in order to comply with the original temporary restraining order issued by Judge Amir Ali on Feb. 13. The administration had repeatedly failed to comply with Ali's order to release the funds, which led him to demand they comply by 11:59 p.m. Feb. 26 or else face sanctions. The Supreme Court stepped in to issue a preliminary stay on the deadline as the court considered the case. The court, however, did not require the administration to stick to the original deadline and immediately release the funds. Instead, it said the district court should 'clarify what obligations the Government must fulfill to ensure compliance with the temporary restraining order, with due regard for the feasibility of any compliance timelines.' This was the first major case that the Supreme Court has ruled on regarding the Trump administration's actions since Jan. 20. And it came with a stark possibility: the administration being in open violation of a court order. With the court having decided, the administration must release the funds or be in violation of Ali's order. The State Department has claimed it is impossible for it to release the frozen funds by Ali's deadline, largely due to extra bureaucratic processes it created since Trump took office. The administration will now need to bypass the bureaucratic roadblocks that it added. The case is still ongoing in Ali's court where he could issue a preliminary injunction soon to extend the restraining order indefinitely. The administration's freeze on foreign aid funding has already caused massive damage by denying crucial deliveries of medicine, vaccinations, food and money for everything from hospitals to shelter. 'This will no doubt result in preventable death, destabilization, and threats to national security on a massive scale,' Nicholas Enrich — the acting assistant administrator for global health at USAID, who has been placed on administrative leave— wrote in an internal memo reported on by The New York Times and provided to the court by the plaintiffs. 'As a result of the pause and programming delays, millions of individuals now face heightened risks of preventable diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB, and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB),' Enrich wrote in another leaked memo. 'Furthermore, setbacks in maternal and child health and nutrition initiatives threaten overall health outcomes in affected regions.' Millions of people around the world would contract preventable diseases and die thanks to the Trump administration's aid freeze, Enrich estimated. Four conservative justices dissented from the decision ordering the administration to comply with the district court's restraining order. The court's decision amounted to 'judicial hubris' that 'imposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers,' Justice Samuel Alito, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, wrote in dissent. That '$2 billion penalty,' however, is represented by congressionally appropriated funds that had already been paid out by the grant recipients to contractors. The plaintiffs in the case were mostly seeking to obtain the release of funds to cover expenses they had already spent. While Alito and the three other conservatives did not discuss any constitutional issues in their dissent, their language appears to indicate a willingness to allow the president to ignore congressional spending directives. The district court announced soon after the decision came down that it will hear arguments Thursday on a new deadline for compliance and a preliminary injunction.
