On 2 October 2020, Irina Vasilyeva, Chief Phthisiologist of the Russian Healthcare Ministry, chaired the 9th Meeting of the BRICS Tuberculosis (TB) Research Network with the support of the WHO Global TB Programme via videoconference.
The Meeting brought together TB experts from the BRICS countries and representatives of the WHO Global TB Programme.
The participants summarized the preliminary results of combating tuberculosis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and outlined the common problems faced by the BRICS countries due to the spread of the novel coronavirus such as late diagnostics, COVID-19 outbreaks in hospitals, similarity between the symptoms of COVID-19 and tuberculosis, transferring patients to outpatient care, and others.
The parties discussed developing joint research projects on TB as well as prevention, treatment and diagnostics of the disease.
The experts shared experience and progress in studying new vaccines, using innovative technology in training healthcare professionals specialising in TB, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, and integrating digital innovation with tuberculosis treatment during the coronavirus outbreak, including remote monitoring of patients receiving treatment.
The report of the Russian representatives highlighted that the number of newly diagnosed cases of tuberculosis went down by 17 percent during the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019, which is related to the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic. At the same time, experts are predicting an increase in new cases within the next few years.
Brazil, India and Russia presented a joint project on the strategy for integrating digital technologies to improve the monitoring of cases when TB patients also contract COVID-19, in order to develop tools to provide easier access to patients’ data using a special platform, and for developing AI-powered diagnostics and prognosis criteria for lung damage caused by the overlapping infections of COVID-19 and tuberculosis.
Members of the BRICS Tuberculosis Research Network agreed to continue providing mutual support with measures to prevent, diagnose and treat tuberculosis, as well as to develop current joint projects and create new projects for solving problems that arise while treating tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the Meeting, the parties adopted the Final Statement of the 9th Meeting of the BRICS Tuberculosis Research Network, which outlined the agreement on consolidating efforts of the BRICS countries with regard to countering tuberculosis and COVID-19 through conducting scientific research and innovative developments of effective vaccines, diagnostics tools, medication and treatment plans, as well as through sharing knowledge and best practices, including TB and COVID-19 research results.