Industry Voices—Innovative tools needed to combat the world’s deadliest infectious disease

. . . One relatively new tool in the TB eradication toolbox has been the implementation of video technology in DOT, making it possible for health workers to monitor medication adherence for patients remotely. This has proven to be more efficient, convenient, and cost-effective for health departments and patients. Medication adherence is becoming even more important as new drugs are developed with shorter regimens. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported on a highly effective and safe one-month treatment for LTBI in HIV patients. This is an important advancement because it’s much more feasible for patients to complete treatment in one month compared to the typical six-to-nine-month treatment. The one-month regimen for LTBI could be a game-changer for TB control, but patient adherence must be excellent. Missing a single dose over nine months is not nearly as detrimental as missing a dose in a 30-day regimen. . . .