Research!America’s Paul G. Rogers Society for Global Health Research Ambassadors Unite, Call for Greater U.S. Investment in Research to Address Global TB Epidemic

Noted Researchers Issue Statement in Support of World TB Day, March 24

WASHINGTON—March 19, 2009—The Paul G. Rogers Society Ambassadors for Global Health Research—75 of the nation's foremost experts in this area—in anticipation of World TB Day, March 24, 2009—issued the following statement calling for an increased U.S. investment in global health research:

"More than 125 years after the discovery of the cause of tuberculosis, known as TB, it is almost unimaginable that we are still fighting this ancient killer, and are using drugs and treatments developed nearly a half-century ago. The major burden of TB is found in developing countries, where 98% of TB deaths occur.¹ In addition, it wields a heavy economic hit draining $12 billion annually from the world's poorest communities², where families caring for a loved one with TB spend eight to 20% of their income on treatment.³ Businesses and local economies must also cope with the absence of employees with TB, who will lose three to four months of work on average.⁴

"Here in the U.S., more than 13,000 TB cases were reported in 2007.  In a world where disease is just a plane ride away, where business and commerce are expanding globally, where students and youth groups routinely travel to distant places, it is critical for the U.S. to invest in global health research to develop better prevention and treatment for TB, and to find a definitive cure.

"In the 1980s and under a false sense of security, America relaxed its monitoring of TB. As a result, TB returned with a vengeance in the 1990s wreaking havoc in communities. An increased investment in research to develop new tools to diagnose and treat TB is essential to prevent the needless suffering caused by TB and its often fatal drug resistant strains. Without this, TB can quickly overpower the current inadequate response to this long-standing but beatable disease.

"Congressional support is crucial to America's leadership in global health research. U.S. investment in global health research is the smart thing to do for America and the right thing to do for the world."

Research!America is the nation's largest not-for-profit public education and advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Founded in 1989, it is supported by 500 member organizations, which represent more than 125 million Americans. The Rogers Society was established in 2006 by Research!America with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Research!America and the Ambassadors are building a national conversation about the value and importance of a greater U.S. investment in global health research. For more information, visit www.researchamerica.org.

Signatories:

Linda H. Aiken, PhD, RN 

C. Ross Anthony, PhD

Michele Barry, MD 

Linda C. Baumann, PhD, RN

Barry Beaty, PhD    

Margaret E. Bentley, PhD

Ruth L. Berkelman, MD

Eric G. Bing, MD, PhD, MPH

Gretchen Birbeck, MD, MPH, DTMH

Robert Edward Black, MD, MPH

David Bloom, PhD

Jo Ivey Boufford, MD

Donald Burke, MD

Jacquelyn Campbell, PhD, RN

Michael Cappello, MD

Richard Cash, MD, MPH

John Clemens, MD

Lois K. Cohen, PhD

Daniel G. Colley, PhD

Frank H. Collins, PhD                     

Walter R. Dowdle, PhD

Christopher J. Elias MD, MPH

Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA

Cyril O. Enwonwu, ScD, MDS, PhD

Lynn Freedman, JD, MPH

Edward Frongillo, Jr, PhD

Pierce Gardner, MD

Nancy Glass, PhD, MPH, RN

Anne Goldfeld, MD

William B. Greenough, III, MD

Deborah Greenspan, BDS, DSc

Richard L. Guerrant, MD

Scott M. Hammer, MD

Patricia Hibberd, MD, PhD        

James E. K. Hildreth, PhD, MD

King Holmes, MD, PhD

William Holzemer, RN, PhD

Philip Hopewell, MD

Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD

Adnan A. Hyder, MD, PhD, MPH

Michael Katz, MD

James W. Kazura, MD

Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH

Kelli Kuhen, PhD

James W. LeDuc, PhD

Richard R. Love, MD        

Adel A. F. Mahmoud, MD, PhD

Beverly McElmurry, EdD, RN

Jane Menken, MS, PhD

Michael H. Merson, MD

Carole D. Mitnick, ScD

Melinda Moore, MD, MPH

Marjorie Muecke, PhD, RN

Christopher J. L. Murray, MD, DPhil

Barbara L. Nichols, DHL, MS, RN

Keith Norris, MD

Gilbert S. Omenn, MD, PhD

Richard Parker, PhD

Nilda P. Peragallo, DrPH, RN

Carmen J. Portillo, RN, PhD

Mark Rasenick, PhD

Scott Ratzan, MD

Steven G. Reed, PhD

Lee Reichman, MD, MPH

Les Roberts, PhD, MPH

Leon E. Rosenberg, MD

Mark L. Rosenberg, MD

Mathuram Santosham, MD, MPH

Samuel L. Stanley, Jr, MD

Thomas G. Streit, CSC, PhD

William M. Tierney, MD

Sten H. Vermund, MD, PhD

Kenneth E. Warner, PhD

Judith N. Wasserheit, MD, MPH        

Peter F. Wright, MD