Creating evidence to support tuberculosis (TB) national and global decision-makers in reducing the global burden of TB

TB is a leading global cause of death. Drug-resistant (DR)-TB causes a disproportionately large health and economic burden. New adolescent/adult TB vaccines are in phase 2b/3 trials, but implementation will be challenging, as is identifying the optimal choice of anti-TB interventions to make the best use of limited resources. In strong collaboration, we (India, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, UK) will create evidence to strengthen capacity and sustainably support high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries (HBC) and global decision-makers in reducing the global burden of TB, by using modelling tools to address key questions on drug-resistant (DR-)TB, new TB vaccines and other interventions, and extend and apply a state-of-the-art TB model, to estimate the relative health, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact, of new and existing interventions, as well as their optimal combination. The evidence created in the project will strengthen capacity and sustainably inform national and global decision-makers, including the governments of India, South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia (representing 40% of global TB), WHO, GAVI, and GFATM, to more rapidly reduce the global burden of TB.