IOM is partnering with the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) to convene a 2-day workshop on MDR TB. The workshop will bring together disease experts, community leaders, policy makers, and patient advocates to examine the state of MDR TB in the South Africa region, to learn from the experiences of the South African public health community in its fight against MDR TB, and to draw lessons regarding best practices and novel approaches that can be applied both within and beyond the region. Proceedings of the workshop will be published and disseminated globally.

The South Africa meeting will focus on various aspects of MDR TB:

1. Epidemiology. The latest information on the spread of MDR/XDR TB in Africa and globally, including the nature of the coinfection with HIV, will be presented and discussed.

2. Diagnostics and Preventive Therapies. The challenges associated with rapid diagnosis of TB and resistance testing in resource-constrained environments will be explored, as well as opportunities for expansion of laboratory capacity and point-of-care diagnosis.

3. Treatment. The limitations of current treatment, including the capacity of current health systems to address the needs of TB patients, the limited numbers of patients receiving appropriate treatment, and challenges in treating migrant workers, will be examined.

4. Transmission and Infection Control. The meeting will explore our growing understanding of the modes of transmission of MDR TB, and the strategies needed to address them.

5. Pediatric TB. The devastating spread of MDR TB among children and the unique challenges they pose for prevention and treatment will be explored.

6. Policy. The workshop will analyze the effects of MDR TB beyond patients in order to highlight areas for improved policy and next steps.