The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) have jointly developed the ‘European Union Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ESTC)’, standards intended to guide clinicians and public health workers to delivery optimal prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TB. After gaps in case management were identified in a recent survey, a panel of 30 international experts worked to produce the 21 standards adapted for EU settings and practices.
TB kills seven people in Europe every hour and 74,000 cases of TB were identified in the EU/EEA in 2010 alone, clearly demonstrating that TB continues to be a European public health threat. Drug resistant strains of TB in particular continue to pose a significant challenge to public health in some European countries. Drug resistant TB occurs when TB cases are inappropriately managed and there is a failure to ensure that patients complete their full course of treatment. Multidrug- and extensively-drug resistant TB, strains which are resistant to first and second line drugs respectively, are much more costly and difficult – sometimes even impossible – to treat. Diagnosing and treating TB cases early and appropriately saves lives and translates into value for money by avoiding the emergence of more virulent strains of TB.
The ESTC are based on the International Standards for TB Care (ISTC) but include supplements and replacement information related specifically to the EU. President‐elect of the ERS, Professor Francesco Blasi, said:
“Across Europe, TB poses a serious threat to public health. With accurate prevention, diagnosis and treatment, we can diminish this threat. Standards for TB care in Europe are still below an acceptable level and recent surveys have highlighted gaps in the case management of TB. The new guidelines include key recommendations relevant to a European audience, which can help reduce the spread of TB and improve patient care.”
The new guidelines represent an important recognition that, although widely believed to be a disease of the past, TB continues to pose a significant public health threat to Europe and worldwide, underlining the need for urgent action.
