Medical
Research Council (MRC) unit The Gambia recently engaged community awareness
creation forum on TB Sequel project at its head office in Fajara.
The
TB Sequel project aims to advance the understanding of the clinical,
microbiologic and host immune factors affecting the long-term sequel of
pulmonary tuberculosis.
It was meant to help in identifying the most
important factors that contribute to lung impairment; to determine the
occurrence of reversible and irreversible costs and the socioeconomic
consequences for patients, and to facilitate novel intervention to restore and
preserve the overall health, well-being and financial protections in patients
with TB.
According
to MRC officials, the TB sequel network has brought together a number of
African partners from countries with a high prevalence of TB and from academic
institutions with a track record in TB research.
Each network partner has both the foundation
for clinical research as well as specific and complimentary areas of expertise.
The
research work package includes five research tasks: TB Cohort, host immunology,
pathogen, socio-economic and Therapeutic Intervention.
The
core of the current project is a prospective cohort of up to 1600 patients
across four countries: Mozambique, Tanzania, South Africa and The Gambia,
enrolled at the time of TB diagnosis and
followed up for at least 2 years.
The
overall goal of the cohort is to describe and analyze the basis of the
long-term clinical consequences of pulmonary TB, with a particular focus on
lung injury.
There
is accumulating evidence showing that comorbid conditions and other factors
including environmental, microbial, host factors and socio-economic
determinants can profoundly influence the risk of developing TB as well as the
likelihood of successful TB treatment.
Nevertheless,
there are limited studies demonstrating the influence of these factors on
developing long-term pulmonary complications.
Capacity
development and networking activities are strategically aligned to the TB
Sequel Network which are to generate global impacts through improved TB care,
create new and relevant research insights and contribute to the development of
national and international TB policies and future research agenda.
