91社区

Nutrition and Tuberculosis | May 26-29, 2025

COURSE FORMAT

Online only. Course will be live to online participants approximately from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, Indian Standard Time zone (9:00 AM -12:00 PM Montreal, EDT time zone) each day. Live content will be recorded and accessible to participants until July 1, 2025.

DESCRIPTION

TB is a disease with social determinants implicated in both its causation and outcomes. Undernutrition is a key biological expression of social inequality, which is the leading risk factor for TB incidence globally, and a serious comorbidity in patients with TB, contributing to poor outcomes. Other common comorbidities like HIV infection and diabetes
have nutritional consequences, and nutritional care is an integral part of comprehensive care for these comorbidities too.This course will provide state of the art knowledge and evidence on the interactions between TB and nutrition, discuss technical and operational aspects of nutritional assessment, counselling, and provision of nutritional support, and outline areas of research in this emerging field in TB care and prevention.

COURSE DIRECTOR

Anurag Bhargava, MD, MSc.
Professor, Yenepoya Medical College
Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, 91社区

COURSE COORDINATOR

Madhavi Bhargava, MD
Professor, Dept of Community Medicine, Yenepoya Medical College

CONTENT

Tuberculosis continues to be a public health problem globally with more than 10 million new cases and 1.6 million deaths annually. The challenge of reduction of TB incidence lies in the fact that a large part of the population in high TB burden countries has evidence of TB infection and is at risk of TB disease. In the absence of an effective vaccine and the operational challenges of roll-out of tuberculosis preventive treatment the decline of TB incidence has been only 2-3% annually. Addressing risk factors for progression of TB infection to active TB is a possible public health strategy. The WHO now acknowledges that undernutrition is the leading risk for TB incidence globally accounting for 2.2 million cases annually, and the prevalence of this risk factor has increased post-COVID pandemic according to FAO. Undernutrition is widely prevalent and often severe in patients with active TB in high TB burden countries and a consistent risk factor for TB deaths. However there has been inadequate attention at policy and practice levels to this risk factor. There is recent evidence from the RATIONS trial that nutritional supplementation can have a significant impact on TB incidence and mortality. In this course, participants will learn from experts in clinical medicine and nutrition, public health specialists, researchers from across the globe (including the team from the RATIONS trial) about the various interactions and implications of nutrition in area of tuberculosis care, prevention, research, policy and advocacy. This course will provide knowledge, insights and skills to address this important factor in practice and policy in their local and regional contexts.聽

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, TB has re-emerged as the leading infectious disease killer globally, with over 10.8 million new cases and 1.25 million deaths in 2023. High TB burden countries face challenges in reducing incidence due to widespread TB infection and limited coverage of preventive treatment. Undernutrition is now recognized by the WHO as the leading global risk factor for TB, contributing to nearly one million new cases annually. In patients with TB, undernutrition is common and a key driver of poor outcomes, including higher mortality rates. Recent evidence, such as findings from the RATIONS trial, shows that nutritional supplementation can reduce TB incidence and mortality. This course will offer insights into the role of nutrition in TB care and prevention, covering topics such as nutritional assessment, counselling, and management of undernutrition. The program will also address nutritional issues related to co-morbidities like diabetes and HIV, providing participants with practical knowledge to apply in clinical practice, public health, and policy contexts. Participants will engage with leading experts and gain valuable skills to support TB care and prevention in diverse settings.聽

OBJECTIVES

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand nutritional requirements, causes, and consequences of undernutrition, including its effects on TB infection and disease.
• Learn about nutritional issues in TB patients, especially those聽with comorbidities like diabetes and HIV, and develop basic skills in nutritional assessment (history, anthropometry, clinical exam, dietary evaluation, biochemical assessment).
• Gain knowledge of nutritional counselling and management of undernutrition, including severe cases in TB care.
• Discuss recent research, guidelines, and the implementation of nutritional supplementation in TB care and prevention.
• Grasp cost-effectiveness analysis and modelling of nutritional interventions, and apply this knowledge to TB care and prevention programs.

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Students of Global Health and Medicine
• Clinicians, Nurses, National TB program managers
• TB researchers, nutrition professionals and researchers
• TB champions and advocates from civil society organizations
• Health systems implementers and researchers.

ENROLMENT

Limited to 75 online participants.