Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) dedicates the 24th of March to raise public awareness of Tuberculosis (TB). The date is of great significance as it marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that generally affects the lungs and sometimes other parts of the body. It is usually caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Bacteria (MTB) that is spread through inhaling tiny droplets from coughs or sneezes of an infected person.
In some cases, TB can develop a resistance to the antimicrobial drugs used to cure the infectious disease. This form of tuberculosis is known as multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and requires a much longer course of treatment and access to different drug formulations.
TB is a deadly disease, but it can often be cured if treated in time and with access to the proper medication.
Source: World Health Organization
Tuberculosis continues to have devastating health, social and economic consequences, and there are growing calls for an accelerated TB response.
Heads of State came together in September 2018, in the first-ever UN High-Level Meeting, where firm commitments were made to end TB.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a joint initiative, “Find, Treat, All. #EndTB”, with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership. The initiative aims to accelerate the TB response and ensure access to care, in line with WHO’s overall drive towards Universal Health Coverage.
Since 2000, global efforts to eliminate tuberculosis have saved an estimated 66 million lives. The COVID-19 epidemic, on the other hand, has halted years of progress in the fight against tuberculosis.
In 2020, TB fatalities climbed for the first time in almost a decade, with an estimated 9.9 million people infected globally.
Freebook Global Technologies works actively in supporting healthcare organisations, charities, and non-government agencies in the elimination of TB.
In 2016 we were involved in a pilot programme in South East Asia to implement a connectivity solution in TB hospitals and clinics. This enabled the in-country National Tuberculosis Programme (or NTP) to have a complete view of their patient testing for both unconnected and connected devices.
In 2017, Freebook Global Technologies and partners provided a bespoke connectivity solution for their medical devices and consultancy on in-site connectivity of a national rollout program to all government TB clinics in a prominent South Asian country.
To learn more about the problems and opportunities faced by the TB community, Freebook Global Technologies attended Union the World Conference on Lung Health, first in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2017, and again in The Hague, the Netherlands, in 2018.
At The Hague, we presented Bm2Dx, a Biomarker to Diagnostic database. In its first phase, Bm2Dx has focused on identifying new and existing TB biomarkers for researchers, test developers, and donors. You can find out more about Bm2Dx and our partnership with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) by reading our case study.
In our work with FIND, Freebook Global Technologies is supporting the organisation in their work on a TB Action Dashboard Showcase project. This will empower lab staff, regional officers, and government officials in tuberculosis programmes worldwide, allowing them to make more informed decisions on the data collected from their connected devices in the field.
In the coming months, Freebook Global Technologies are working on more connected health projects and aim to support medical organisations in combating disease including TB.
Find out more about the development of connected health solutions.
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Hayley joined the Digital Marketing team at Freebook Global Technologies in June 2018. Having previously worked with both online and offline marketing methods, she enjoys writing content and is now developing her knowledge and skills in SEO to help increase online visibility for businesses.
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