Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

This editorial is based on a conference entitled ‘Multi-drug Resistant Tuberculosis—Molecules to Macroeconomics’, held at the RSM on March 29-30. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) is defined as resistance to the two principal drugs used in treatment—isoniazid and rifampicin—whether or not there is resistance to other drugs. The terms ‘primary’ and ‘acquired’ resistance have been changed to ‘resistance in new patients’ and ‘resistance in previously treated patients’. The main causes of MDRTB are poor patient management, non-adherence to the prescribed regimen, a poor national programme or some combination of these three.