On 25 May, delegates from the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO), endorsed a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance. The goal of this action plan is to ensure successful treatment and prevention of infectious diseases by securing fair, affordable access to effective antimicrobial agents to those who need it most.

This four-page evidence brief provides an overview of tuberculosis control and elimination efforts in the EU/EEA, with a particular focus on the epidemiological differences between high- and low-incidence countries.

​This Expert Opinion outlines some pre-conditions that are considered to be essential at the national level prior to the use of new drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis, as well as specific conditions needed in order to successfully implement new TB drugs/regimens. 

Tuberculosis cases down by 6% in 2013 – pace too slow to reach elimination this century. Rates of MDR-TB remain at very high levels, making the European Region the most affected area of the entire world.

The use of certain antimicrobials in animals and humans is associated with resistance to these antimicrobials in bacteria from animals and humans. There are also important differences in the consumption of antimicrobials in animals and in humans between European countries. These are some of the findings of the first integrated analysis of data from humans, animals and food in Europe published jointly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The Annual Epidemiological Report 2014 for respiratory tract infections - tuberculosis provides a snapshot of the epidemiological situation of TB in Europe, featuring data from 2012.

The report outlines the results of the joint ECDC and WHO review of the Bulgarian National Tuberculosis Control Programme. The programme of the review included visits to national institutions involved in tuberculosis prevention and control, primary healthcare facilities, regional hospitals including laboratories, the hospital for treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a prison hospital, regional health inspectorates, and non-governmental organisations. The team was supported by national experts.

ECDC revised the tuberculosis section in its Risk Assessment Guidelines for Infectious Diseases Transmitted on Aircraft (RAGIDA). The new guidelines include an updated systematic review on TB transmission on aircraft, which concludes that there is still not enough evidence of the effectiveness of identifying, tracing and investigating the passengers that might have been infected during a flight.

New surveillance data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the WHO Regional Office for Europe ahead of World Tuberculosis Day.

ECDC promotes and encourages EU/EAA countries to raise the profile of childhood TB in national childhood TB prevention and control strategies and guidelines.