Ending Neglect: The Elimination of Tuberculosis in the United States

Tuberculosis emerged as an epidemic in the 1600s, began to decline as sanitation improved in the 19th century, and retreated further when effective therapy was developed in the 1950s. TB was virtually forgotten until a recent resurgence in the U.S. and around the world-ominously, in forms resistant to commonly used medicines.

What must the nation do to eliminate TB? The distinguished committee from the Institute of Medicine offers recommendations in the key areas of epidemiology and prevention, diagnosis and treatment, funding and organization of public initiatives, and the U.S. role worldwide. The panel also focuses on how to mobilize policy makers and the public to effective action.

The book provides important background on the pathology of tuberculosis, its history and status in the U.S., and the public and private response.

The committee explains how the U.S. can act with both self-interest and humanitarianism in addressing the worldwide incidence of TB.

• Front Matter
• Executive Summary
• 1 Fundamentals of Tuberculosis and Tuberculosis Control
• 2 The Current Situation and How We Got Here
• 3 Tuberculosis Elimination and the Changing Role of Tuberculosis Control Programs
• 4 Advancing Toward Elimination
• 5 Developing the Tools for Tuberculosis Elimination
• 6 The U.S. Role in Global Tuberculosis Control
• 7 Mobilizing for Elimination
• Appendix A Statement of Task
• Appendix B Public Session Agendas
• Appendix C Site Visit Summaries
• Appendix D Role of Public Health Laboratories in the Control of Tuberculosis
• Appendix E Estimating the Number of Tuberculosis Cases That Can Be Prevented by a Program of Screening and Preventive Therapy of Newly Arrived Immigrants to the United States from Countries with a High Rate of Tuberculosis a
• Appendix F Approval Dates for Existing and Prospects for Development of New Antituberculosis Drugs and Vaccines
• Appendix G Committee Biographies
• Index