The Union recently provided the second of a two-part data management training programme for laboratory workers in Kampala, Uganda in February 2009. The training, which was supported by the USAID-funded TB Control Assistance Program (TB CAP) initiative, aimed to increase understanding and skills in data management in national reference laboratories.
Dr. Hans Rieder of The Union’s Department of Tuberculosis provided the on-site training over two five-day sessions. To facilitate learning, both courses followed a sequence of modules using a single example, adding sophistication with each exercise.
Participants (11 in the first course and 7 of these who also completed the second course) were given the exercise modules as a hard copy in folders, supplemented with a CD-ROM in HTML, accessible for navigation in a browser containing additional material and all software used in the course. At the end of the two courses, participants were knowledgeable about the role of quality-assured capture of data and their analysis with hypothesis testing in basic descriptive epidemiologic studies. As national tuberculosis programmes aim to increase the depth of operations research to support their tuberculosis control activities, the need for such comprehensive and practical data management training will also increase. The Union is well positioned to develop and support these important skills in the field.
For more information on Union courses, please go to www.theunion.org

Zimbabwe is ranked 20/22 among the high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries and a massive increase in the case load has been experienced since the 1990’s, primarily due to the HIV epidemic. The reported incidence rates of all and sputum smear positive TB cases were 557/100,000 population and 227/100,000 population in 2006, respectively (WHO Global Tuberculosis Control, 2008). Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common cause of death, particularly in age groups with high HIV prevalence (15-49 years).
Since September 2007, The Union has been implementing the Integrated HIV Care for TB Patients Living with HIV/AIDS (IHC) programme with the municipal health services departments in Harare and Bulawayo, with funding from the European Commission. The concept of integrated care entails offering individuals with tuberculosis and their family contacts HIV testing and counselling, and appropriate HIV care, if found to be HIV-positive. The programme also involves operational research and is implemented at three clinic sites: Emakhandeni and Magwegwe, Bulawayo and Mabvuku, Harare. From January to September 2008, 593 TB patients were registered and 416 (70%) were tested for HIV. A total of 356 (86%) were HIV-positive. Following accreditation of the pilot sites as antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiating sites in August-September 2008, the staff have been able to start ART in co-infected patients, 113 (32%) of whom were commenced on ART by the end of September 2008.
In September 2008 the USAID Mission to Zimbabwe obligated funding to the TB Control Assistance Program (TB CAP) mechanism to strengthen TB control in the country. The Union is the coordinating partner for this initiative that has three outputs: i) strengthening of leadership and management for TB control at national, provincial and city level, ii) strengthening human resources for TB control and iii) strengthening TB/HIV scale up.
Despite the ongoing severe cholera epidemic and numerous challenges facing the health sector and health care providers in Zimbabwe, The Union and its partners are committed to making good quality TB and collaborative TB/HIV services available to communities and individuals.
If you would like to learn more about the Zimbabwe IHC Programme, please contact Dr. Riitta Dlodlo at rdlodlo@theunion.org
For further details about the TB CAP project in Zimbabwe, please contact Dr. I.D Rusen at irusen@theunion.org

Between 19 January 2009 and 6 February 2009, on behalf of the Bloomberg Initiative (BI) and The Union, Sinéad Jones, Director of The Union’s Department of Tobacco Control along with The Union China team, had been negotiating the project, China-OC-402, with the National Office of Tobacco Control (NOTC) under the subordination of China’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On 6 February 2009, after two rounds of negotiation, both parties came to a final agreement on the scope of this funding that is strengthening NOTC’s all-round capacity on national tobacco control and starting up legislation procedures in selected cities. They have successfully reached a final agreement on the project proposal. The final document is being prepared and finalised and should be ready for signing within the next two weeks. During the period of negotiation, Sinéad Jones had met the Director General of China CDC Yu Wang and gained his written commitment that China CDC will be fully responsible for this project and provide supervision and support in the process of its implementation.
This project, by far the biggest one funded by BI worldwide, aims at promoting NOTC of China CDC’s capacity to organise, coordinate and manage nationwide tobacco control. The reconstructed NOTC will develop five functional departments, upgraded from an original staff of six to twenty people. Simultaneously, less than ten cities with legislation rights will be selected nationwide to proceed tentative legislation for smoke free healthcare facilities, educational facilities and public transportation. These can be done by adopting strategies such as comparing local current regulations on tobacco control with the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) provisions, publicising smoking hazards to the public, and instructing the local trainers on tobacco control.
The implementation of this project will undoubtedly promote the capacity of NOTC in well organising and facilitating China’s tobacco control campaigns and lay the foundation for sustainable tobacco control in China.

For more information on tobacco control, please go to www.tobaccofreeunion.org

The Union South-East Asia, in collaboration with the Indian Media Centre For Journalists (INCFJ), coordinated the 6th Journalist to Journalist (J2J) workshop, in Jaipur, planned as part of a twelve-month project to support, train and mentor vernacular journalists to report on tobacco control issues in the vernacular press throughout 10 Hindi speaking states of India.
This project receives funding from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Within the last 12 months, over 300 articles have been published in local dailies targeting key focus areas such as tobacco taxation, illegal advertising, pack warnings, bidi trade, alternative livelihoods, government subsidies to tobacco farmers and tobacco cultivation. About 25 journalists have been identified from the larger group trained - in all 270 journalists have been trained including 122 journalism students and interns, to take part in a retreat to be organised later in April as part of a process to further intensifying media support to tobacco control in the country.
The workshop in Jaipur was held on 20 January and included 24 journalists and 17 journalism students with a total of 41 attendees. The discussions focussed on pack warnings and the recent meeting of the Group of Ministers attempting to further delay the already delayed implementation of health warnings on tobacco products in the country. For pictures and the actual news stories, please visit the blog spot created and maintained by the IMCFJ at www.j2jtobacco.blogspot.com

For more information on tobacco control, please go to www.tobaccofreeunion.org

2009 is already set to be another challenging year in management training at The Union. The International Management Development Programme (IMDP) is expanding with new features that will help officials working in public health further develop and refine their programme-management skills. This year marks the addition of a fifth course – Mass Media and Communications – and new options on the IMDP website that enable participants to continue their education long after a course is finished. In addition, participants may now also receive 60 European Continuing Medical Education Credits (CME) for attending selected IMDP courses.
Log on to www.union-imdp.org and check out the Online Resource Centre for other recent additions such as:

• Beginning in March, online tutorials supplementing IMDP course topics
• Quick and easy quizzes that test your knowledge of various subjects in health management
• Articles on subjects providing advanced learning in management education
• Surveys that enable you to give valuable feedback about your IMDP experience
• And online forums enabling you to interact directly with instructors and previous participants while expanding your international network of colleagues!

For further information regarding the International Management Development Programme please contact imdp@theunion.org

13th Conference of The Union North America Region, 26-28 February 2009, Vancouver, Canada
Although the 13th edition of The Union North America Region Conference is expected to start next week, it is still possible to pre-register for this conference until 23 February 2009. Beyond that date, all further registrations will be conducted on-site.
Additional information on the conference is available by visiting the official website at www.bc.lung.ca/lungdiseases/tuberculosis_iuatld.html

“Becoming a Union Member is being instrumental to support efforts and continue launching new resources and programmes in the global fight against tuberculosis and lung disease” Scott Mc Donald, Executive Director of the British Columbia Lung Association.

Now is the time to join or renew your Union membership. Continue your support to The Union's 89-year tradition of public health activism as we work toward global targets to stop TB. The 20 Euro individual Union membership for low-income countries is the popular option. It includes an online-only subscription to the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, as well as all other member benefits.

In 2009, the membership with the print and electronic versions of the Journal is at the special rate of 450 Euros for 2 years (1 year fee is 240 Euros). Benefactor membership fee starts at 500 Euros per year; benefactors are acknowledged in the annual Union Activity Report and invited to the President’s cocktail during the Union World Conference.


Visit http://membership.worldlunghealth.org for a description of membership categories, benefits and fees.
Clicking on « Membership online » will take you to the new, interactive membership form for renewals and new memberships. If already a member, and to ensure that you receive the best service from The Union, please use your existing membership number.
Forgot your membership number? Contact Thuy Duong or Florence Desparmet at membership@theunion.org

Record 1.
TI: After UPLIFT: smoking cessation remains the best intervention in smokers with COPD [Editorial]
AU: Chen-Yuan, Chiang
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00001

Record 2.
TI: What has Karonga taught us? Tuberculosis studied over three decades [State of the art series. Tuberculosis. Edited by I. D. Rusen. Number 4 in the series]
AU: Crampin, A.C.; Glynn, J.R.; Fine, P.E.M.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00002

Record 3.
TI: Smoking prevalence and tobacco control measures in Kenya, Uganda, the Gambia and Liberia: a review [Review article]
AU: Nturibi, E.M.; Kolawole, A.A.; McCurdy, S.A.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00003

Record 4.
TI: Inclusion of information on risk factors, socio-economic status and health seeking in a tuberculosis prevalence survey [Educational series. Serialised guidelines. Assessing tuberculosis prevalence through population-based surveys. Number 6 in the series]
AU: Lonnroth, K.; Holtz, T.H.; Cobelens, F.; Chua, J.; van Leth, F.; Tupasi, T.; Williams, B.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00004

Record 5.
TI: Annual meeting of the Tuberculosis Surveillance and Research Unit, 2008[Meeting report]
AU: Zellweger, J-P.; Verver, S.; van den Hof, S.; Hesseling, A.; Williams, B.; van Leth, F.; Rieder, H.L.; Borgdorff, M.W.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00005

Record 6.
TI: Validation and clinical interpretation of the St Georges Respiratory Questionnaire among COPD patients, China
AU: Xu, W.; Collet, J-P.; Shapiro, S.; Lin, Y.; Yang, T.; Wang, C.; Bourbeau, J.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00006

Record 7.
TI: Tuberculosis incidence among contacts of active pulmonary tuberculosis
AU: Cailleaux-Cezar, M.; de A Melo, D.; Xavier, G.M.; de Salles, C.L.G.; de Mello, F.C.Q.; Ruffino-Netto, A.; Golub, J.E.; Efron, A.; Chaisson, R.E.; Conde, M.B.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00007

Record 8.
TI: Interpretation of a serial Mantoux test taking into account the annual risk of tuberculous infection
AU: del Rio Camacho, G.; Perea-Milla, E.; Romero Gonzalez, J.; Perez Frias, J.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00008

Record 9.
TI: Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in England, 1998
AU: Love, J.; Sonnenberg, P.; Glynn, J.R.; Gibson, A.; Gopaul, K.; Fang, Z.; Le Brun, F.; Pitman, R.; Hayward, A.C.; Innes, J.; Van den Bosch, C.; Delpech, V.; Drobniewski, F.; Watson, J.M.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00009

Record 10.
TI: Think TB! Is the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis delayed by the use of antibiotics?
AU: Craig, S.E.; Bettinson, H.; Sabin, C.A.; Gillespie, S.H.; Lipman, M.C.I.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00010

Record 11.
TI: The diagnostic utility of adenosine deaminase isoenzymes in tuberculous pleural effusions
AU: Zemlin, A.E.; Burgess, L.J.; Carstens, M.E.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00011

Record 12.
TI: Cross-referral between HIV counselling and testing centres and smear microscopy centres in Tamil Nadu
AU: Ramachandran, R.; Chandrasekaran, V.; Muniyandi, M.; Jaggarajamma, K.; Bagchi, A.; Sahu, S.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00012

Record 13.
TI: Association between distance to HIV testing site and uptake of HIV testing for tuberculosis patients in Cambodia
AU: Kanara, N.; Cain, K.P.; Chhum, V.; Eng, B.; Kim, S.; Keo, S.; Heller, T.A.; Varma, J.K.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00013

Record 14.
TI: Directly observed treatment is associated with reduced default among foreign tuberculosis patients in Thailand
AU: Kapella, B.K.; Anuwatnonthakate, A.; Komsakorn, S.; Moolphate, S.; Charusuntonsri, P.; Limsomboon, P.; Wattanaamornkiat, W.; Nateniyom, S.; Varma, J.K.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00014

Record 15.
TI: Management training in Vietnams National Tuberculosis Program: an impact evaluation
AU: Umble, K.E.; Brooks, J.; Lowman, A.; Malison, M.; Huong, N.T.; Iademarco, M.; Laserson, K.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00015

Record 16.
TI: Validation of the line-probe assay for rapid detection of rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Vietnam
AU: Shah, N.S.; Lan, N.T.N.; Huyen, M.N.T.; Laserson, K.; Iademarco, M.F.; Binkin, N.; Wells, C.; Varma, J.K.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00016

Record 17.
TI: Drug-resistant tuberculosis in Shanghai, China, 20002006: prevalence, trends and risk factors
AU: Shen, X.; DeRiemer, K.; Yuan, Z-A.n.; Shen, M.; Xia, Z.; Gui, X.; Wang, L.; Gao, Q.; Mei, J.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00017

Record 18.
TI: Performance of MTBDR plus for detecting high/low levels of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistance to isoniazid
AU: Brossier, F.; Veziris, N.; Jarlier, V.; Sougakoff, W.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00018

Record 19.
TI: Fluorescence microscopy is less expensive than Ziehl-Neelsen microscopy in Thailand [Notes from the field]
AU: Sohn, H.; Sinthuwattanawibool, C.; Rienthong, S.; Varma, J.K.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00019

Record 20.
TI: Tuberculous meningitis in HIV-infected and non-infected patients: comparison of cerebrospinal fluid findings [Short communication]
AU: Cecchini, D.; Ambrosioni, J.; Brezzo, C.; Corti, M.; Rybko, A.; Perez, M.; Poggi, S.; Ambroggi, M.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00020

Record 21.
TI: Pacemaker wire infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a case report and literature review [Short communication]
AU: Kestler, M.; Reves, R.; Belknap, R.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00021

Record 22.
TI: Systematic review and analysis of population-based molecular epidemiological studies [Correspondence]
AU: Houben, R.M.G.J.; Glynn, J.R.; Fok, A.; Numata, Y.; Schulzer, M.; FitzGerald, J.M.
URL: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2009/00000013/00000002/art00022