March 23, 2009

ATS Marks World TB Day with Briefing Series on Capitol Hill

The ATS commemorated World TB Day this week with a series of issue briefings on Capitol Hill. ATS member Richard Chaisson, MD, led a morning session for Senate staff that provided an overview of the global TB crisis, including the prevalence of drug resistant TB, which also highlighted the U.S. role in providing leadership to implement the Global TB Plan to Stop TB through the 2008 enactment of the Lantos-Hyde Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Act. The Lantos-Hyde Act commits the U.S. to the global plan and authorizes $4 billion in funding over five years for USAID and CDC global TB programs. Speakers included representatives from the ATS's event partners: Diana Weil, from WHO's Stop TB Department; Gail Cassell, Ph.D., from Eli Lilly; and Smita Baruah, from Global Health Council.

An afternoon session, held for House of Representatives staff, featured a presentation by ATS member Payam Nahid, MD, on TB challenges in the U.S., the TB drug regimen, and the promise of new TB drugs in development by the CDC's TB Clinical Trials Consortium. The panel was moderated by Philip LoBue, MD, Associate Director for Science at the CDC's Division of TB Elimination, and included Ms. Weil, speaking on global prevalence and the Stop TB strategy, and Aeras President Jerald Sadoff, MD, discussing research needs, including the pipeline for a new vaccine. Both briefings closed with a multi-media presentation of Paul Simon's, "The Sounds of Silence," which has been set to journalist James Natchwey's photographs of TB patients in honor of World TB Day.

Tuberculosis: ATS Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee

ATS Vice President Dean Schraufnagel, MD, testified this week before the House Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Obey (D-WI). Dr. Schraufnagel presented ATS and TB coalition partner recommendations for strengthening domestic TB control, specifically, by providing a funding level of $210 million for CDC's TB program. This funding level is authorized through the Comprehensive TB Elimination Act, which the ATS led advocacy on efforts to secure enactment in 2008. In his testimony, Dr. Schraufnagel also called for expanded TB research through the NIH to develop faster TB diagnostic tests, better drugs and an effective vaccine.

Research: NIAID Announces Plans for Stimulus Funds

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has announced its initiatives for funding through American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The NIAID has an additional $1.12 billion to fund FY09 projects and resources that will stimulate research and create jobs. The institute plans to spend approximately 75 percent of its ARRA funds on unsolicited grants. NIAID's grant announcements and other information can be found at the following link.

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