Government of India seeks YouTube videos on need for new TB drugs

The Government of India's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD) and Vigyan Prasar have announced an initiative calling for submissions of YouTube videos on the topic: "The need for new tuberculosis (TB) drugs." According to the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development (TB Alliance), "A shorter [anti-TB] drug regimen would reduce lost work-time and lessen the economic impact of TB on individuals' lives, and in turn help stabilize families, save and enrich the lives of millions of children, and enable a healthier, more productive labor force in many TB-endemic countries."

"Investing in the development of new TB drugs is not just a humanitarian imperative; it is sound economic policy as well. Research indicates treating multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), even with today's lengthy, complicated, and expensive tools, is cost-effective and in a country's best interest. For many endemic countries, this is just not possible, no matter how sensible, because of a lack of resources today. Investing in the development of new, shorter, safer, and affordable MDR-TB treatments is necessary to increase productivity, which is made possible by a population unhindered by TB. As MDR-TB and XDR-TB continue to spread, unchecked, the economic stranglehold the epidemic has on endemic and developing countries will only become more profound, and the affected countries less able to address the epidemic. For this reason, the world must invest in tomorrow's tools today" adds TB Alliance.

To download the application form to submit YouTube videos on 'need for new TB drugs' theme, click here. For more information on this initiative, click here.

CNS/ Stop-TB eForum