Nurses in the forefront of tuberculosis prevention, care and treatment.

摘要

Tuberculosis (TB) has re-emerged with a vengeance. An estimated 8.8 million new cases of TB occur annually, of which approximately 400,000 are multidrug resistant TB (MDR-TB). Although it is a curable disease, TB kills approximately two million people every year. The HIV/AIDS epidemic makes the situation worse, with coinfection commonly referred to as the 'deadly duo'. Tuberculosis accounts for one-third of AIDS deaths worldwide.In the era of TB and HIV/AIDS, overall nursing competence in detection, control and care is crucial. Nurses working in a variety of healthcare settings carry the bulk of the work in TB prevention, care and treatment. To confront TB, we must train and mobilise the nursing workforce to make the most of this critical resource.