Ranbaxy Science Foundation, a non profit organization set up by Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, has conducted its 22nd Round Table Conference on Challenges of MDR/XDR Tuberculosis (TB) in India in the second week of December to deliberate on methods to bring the occurrence of the disease in the country.

The recommendations that emerged from the day long deliberations among the delegates included a number of measures like giving highest priority to sustained high quality DOTS implementation in the country for preventing emergence of MDR & XDR-TB in the community.

The experts called for an initiative to combine primary health care with TB control by linking all health care providers to the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) to meet the operational challenges for implementing DOTS strategy. The suggestions were also on to improve laboratory capacity to diagnose MDR & XDR-TB, explore new diagnostic technologies, provide effective treatment of MDR- TB through DOTS PLUS for prevention of XDR-TB and by ensuring supply and availability of second line anti TB drugs in India.

Although the National TB Control Programme in India is being implemented since 1962 and revised with effect from 1992 but TB has not come under control. Multi Drug Resistant (MDR), Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) and TB are serious public health problems in India.

In MDR-TB the disease is resistant to first line core anti TB drugs, whereas in XDR -TB the disease is even resistant to second line drugs. XDR-TB is a crisis for the person with the problem as its response to treatment and prognosis is very poor. At the same time, the disease being contagious, the resultant infection would also be MDR or XDR. Effective TB control is therefore essential for prevention of MDR & XDR-TB. The aim of the conference was to bring together national experts on MDR and XDR -TB so as to assess the seriousness of the situation, define the problems and identify solutions.

The programme was moderated by Prof S K Sharma, chief, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care & Sleep Medicine and head Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Prof T Jacob John, formerly professor and head, Departments of Clinical Microbiology and Virology, Christian Medical College, Vellore. Dr Paul Nunn, coordinator, TB/HIV and Drug Resistance Unit, WHO, Switzerland delivered the keynote address on the topic 'Global Scenario of MDR/XDR Tuberculosis'.

Ranbaxy Science Foundation, chaired by Dr Nityanand, promotes scientific endeavour in the country by encouraging and rewarding excellence in medical and pharmaceutical research and channelling national and international knowledge and expertise. Among the prime activities it undertakes every year are, holding of Scientific Symposia in front line areas of research, inviting Foreign Scientists as visiting Professors and holding of Round Table Conferences on subjects of public health concerns.

The topics for the earlier Round Table conferences held so far included dengue, tuberculosis, water borne diseases, malaria, kalaazar, HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis, Hepatitis C, anthrax, leprosy, Hepatitis B, polio, diabetic retinopathy and improving access of health care etc.

-EOM-