title: Innovative Tuberculosis Symposium held during Cuba Salud 2015.
abstract: The fourth Tuberculosis (TB) Symposium, held during the Cuba Salud 2015 International Convention, highlighted advancements in research on TB and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) by interdisciplinary teams from academic and federal institutions in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Delegates focused on the targets presented in the World Health Organization End TB Strategy for 2016-2035 and elaborated on four primary themes: 1) attention to vulnerable populations such as immunocompromised individuals, health care workers, and residents of long-term institutions such as prisons and nursing homes; 2) identification of active and latent TB cases through contact investigations; 3) spread and control of drug-resistant Mtb strains; and 4) advancements in the development of novel vaccines or "booster" immunizations. This international TB forum served as a platform for experts in diverse disciplines in these Latin American countries to discuss challenges faced by TB research and control programs, proposing novel research initiatives and promoting collaborative teamwork strategies for TB elimination. In solidarity, collaborative efforts in TB control require identification of symptomatic individuals, rapid diagnostic testing for TB, drug susceptibility assays on Mtb strains, and management that provide universal and gratuitous access to directly observed short-course therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Global Health, University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, PO Box 100188, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States; Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, PO Box 103600, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States. Electronic address: hchapman@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Helena J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Pedro Kourí", Autopista Novia del Mediodía, km. 6 ½, Apdo. Postal 601, La Lisa, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba. Electronic address: luisa@ipk.sld.cu.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Armas Pérez
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003462:Cuba; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents; D032581:Tuberculosis Vaccines
keywords: Control; Cuba; Latin America; Tuberculosis