WHO endorses indigenous molecular diagnostic tool for tuberculosis diagnosis

The Hindu: January 15, 2020

The World Health Organisation has endorsed TrueNat, an indigenous molecular diagnostic tool for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. The disease remains a threat to public health and is the top infectious cause of death globally.

In 2018, an estimated 10 million people developed TB and 1.5 million died of it while at least a million children become ill with it every year. Also about 5,00,000 new cases of multidrug 2 and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) are estimated to emerge annually but only one in three cases was reported by countries to have been diagnosed and treated in 2018.

WHO has noted that since the approval of Xpert MTB/RIF in 2010, significant additional evidence has been generated on its use as initial test for the diagnosis and rifampicin-resistant TB.

“In recent months new data on the use of Xpert and on the latest version TrueNat MTB and MTB Plus system have also become available. WHO commissioned a systematic review of all the available data in 2019. The results were assessed during a meeting of an independent WHO-convened Guideline Development Group (GDG) on 3-6 December 2019. Detailed recommendations will be published as part of updated WHO Consolidated Guidelines on TB diagnosis in 2020,’’ noted WHO.


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