The fourth report of the WHO/International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases global project on surveillance of anti-TB drug resistance was launched at a news conference on 27 February 2008 in Washington, DC, United States of America, and media interviews in Brussels, Belgium and London, United Kingdom.

The report includes test results of 91 557 patients from 81 countries (including those from the WHO European Region) collected between 2002 and 2006, representing over 35% of the global total of new smear-positive TB cases. The three previous reports were published in 1997, 2001 and 2004 and included data from 35, 58 and 77 countries, respectively.

Of the 14 areas where the proportion of MDR-TB among new cases is more than 6%, 12 are in countries in the WHO European Region, while the remaining 2 are in China.

The report documents certain progress in TB control, including a decreasing trend in levels of anti-TB drug resistance in the Baltic states. At the same time, very high levels of MDR-TB are seen in the southern Caucasus, the Russian Federation and central Asia.

WHO Europe representative said : “these facts and figures show that our Region is heavily affected by MDR-TB. We are ready, however, to tackle this challenging situation in three major ways. First, by pursuing the dedicated implementation of the Plan to Stop TB in 18 High-priority Countries in the WHO European Region, 2007–2015. Second, through enhanced and sustained political commitment of Member States, which endorsed the Berlin Declaration on 22 October 2007 at the WHO European Ministerial Forum ‘All Against Tuberculosis’. And, last but not least, by more efficiently coordinating activities conducted to integrate TB control interventions into national health systems. These are the principal tools to win this battle”.