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Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...h/europe-facing-tb-time-bomb/article13812203/
Europe faces tuberculosis ?time bomb? as new strains of the disease emerge
KATE KELLAND
Reuters
Published Friday, Aug. 16 2013, 12:09 PM EDT
Last updated Friday, Aug. 16 2013, 12:10 PM EDT
Europe is facing a ?time bomb? of rising costs to control tuberculosis as drug-resistant forms of the lung disease spread, a pioneering study has found.
Often thought of as a disease of the past or one restricted to marginalized communities, TB is already inflicting annual direct costs of more than ?500-million ($687-million) on the region and another ?5.3-billion in productivity losses.
The study, by health economists based in Germany, also suggests the economic burden of TB far outweighs the likely costs of investing in much-needed research to develop more effective medicines and vaccines ? something they said governments and the drug industry should do urgently..
Europe faces tuberculosis ?time bomb? as new strains of the disease emerge
KATE KELLAND
Reuters
Published Friday, Aug. 16 2013, 12:09 PM EDT
Last updated Friday, Aug. 16 2013, 12:10 PM EDT
Europe is facing a ?time bomb? of rising costs to control tuberculosis as drug-resistant forms of the lung disease spread, a pioneering study has found.
Often thought of as a disease of the past or one restricted to marginalized communities, TB is already inflicting annual direct costs of more than ?500-million ($687-million) on the region and another ?5.3-billion in productivity losses.
The study, by health economists based in Germany, also suggests the economic burden of TB far outweighs the likely costs of investing in much-needed research to develop more effective medicines and vaccines ? something they said governments and the drug industry should do urgently..