The World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Programme has released updated guidelines on TB preventive treatment (TPT), featuring one new strong recommendation on levofloxacin daily for 6 months as an option for TPT among individuals exposed to multidrug- and rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB). It also incorporates relevant recommendations released by WHO since the publication of the previously released WHO TPT guidelines in 2020. The guidelines also streamline other recommendations with the aim of enhancing clarity and adoption by national programmes.
In support of the TPT guidelines, WHO has also updated the operational handbook on TPT that lays down key implementation considerations and steps in the programmatic scaling up of TPT, provides implementation tools and job-aids for adaptation to local contexts and indicators for monitoring and evaluating programmatic management of TPT. The schedule of drug dosages for TPT regimens has been revised based on the latest evidence. The handbook also showcases best practice examples from countries and stakeholders.
The 2024 recommendations for the programmatic management of TPT are released as part of Module 1 of the WHO consolidated TB guidelines series. The guidelines are complemented by an operational handbook, that provides practical advice on how to implement the recommendations at the scale needed to achieve national and global impact. The guidelines and the handbook are the second edition of the documents and update the edition that was first published in 2020.
The 21 recommendations contained in the second edition of the guidelines cover critical steps in programmatic management of TPT. The main changes from the first edition of the guidelines include a new, strong recommendation on TPT for contacts of multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB); the integration of recommendations from the 2021 WHO TB screening guidelines and the 2022 WHO guidelines on testing of TB infection; withdrawal of two older recommendations that presented issues to implementation; revisions to the wording of recommendations to align with current terminology; and updates to the research gaps and references.
The operational limitations that need to be overcome by countries to achieve global targets are highlighted and discussed in greater detail in the accompanying operational handbook that is being released concurrently. The guidelines and handbook are to be used primarily in national TB and HIV programmes, or their equivalents in ministries of health, and for other policy-makers working on TB, HIV and infectious diseases in public and private sectors and in the community.
Recommended readings
- GLOBAL TUBERCULOSIS REPORT 2021
- Global Tuberculosis Report 2020
- Global Tuberculosis Report 2019: Latest status of the tuberculosis epidemic
- Global Tuberculosis Report 2018
- WHO Global Tuberculosis report 2015
- Global tuberculosis report 2014: Improved data reveals higher global burden of tuberculosis
- National Tuberculosis Programme Annual Report 2018
- National Tuberculosis Program Update in Nepal #WorldTBDay #EndTB
- National TB Prevalence Survey, 2018-19 Key findings
- World Tuberculosis Day 2020! It’s time to End TB!
- National Guideline on Drug Resistant TB Management 2019, Nepal
- National Tuberculosis Management Guideline 2019, Nepal
- Global Tuberculosis Report 2019: Latest status of the tuberculosis epidemic
- National TB Prevalence Survey, 2018-19 Key findings
- New WHO recommendations to prevent tuberculosis aim to save millions of lives
- World Health Organization (WHO) Information Note Tuberculosis and COVID-19
- World Tuberculosis Day 2020! It’s time to End TB!
- People-centred framework for tuberculosis programme planning and prioritization, User guide
- Global Tuberculosis Report 2019: Latest status of the tuberculosis epidemic
- Dissemination of Findings and Recommendations of Joint External Monitoring Mission(JEMM) of Nepal National Tuberculosis Program
- National Tuberculosis Programme Annual Report 2018
- National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Prevention, Care and Control 2016 – 2021
- NTP, Nepal: New TB Treatment Algorithm & Regimen (Updated)
- WHO announces landmark changes in MDR-TB treatment regimens
- TB Vaccine results announce a promising step towards ending the emergency
- 7 million people receive record levels of lifesaving TB treatment but 3 million still miss out
