[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 4] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 5177-5178] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]IN RECOGNITION OF WORLD TB DAY ______ HON. GENE GREEN of texas in the house of representatives Thursday, March 25, 2010 Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of World TB Day. Tuberculosis is the second leading global infectious disease killer behind HIV/AIDS, claiming approximately 1.8 million lives each year. It is estimated that \1/3\ of the world's population is infected with TB. This disease kills people of all races and ages around the world. The global TB pandemic and spread of drug resistant TB presents a persistent public health threat to the U.S. The WHO reports that 5 percent of all new TB cases are drug resistant, with estimates of up to 28 percent drug resistant reported in some parts of Russia. Of these numbers, it is estimated that only 7 percent are receiving treatment. Although drugs, diagnostics and vaccines for TB exist, these technologies are antiquated and are increasingly inadequate for controlling the global epidemic. The most commonly used TB diagnostic in the world, sputum microscopy, is more than 100 years old and lacks sensitivity to detect TB in most HIV/AIDS patients and in children. Drug susceptibility tests for drug resistant TB take 2-4 weeks to complete, during which time a drug resistant TB patient in a developing country may die. The TB vaccine, BCG, provides some protection to children, but has little or no efficacy in preventing pulmonary TB in adults. We will never be able to defeat TB without the introduction of new identification, treatment and prevention tools. World TB Day provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the significant gains made in the fight against TB and reminds of us the challenges ahead. Since 1995, 36 million people around the world have successfully been treated for TB and 9 million lives have been saved. Less than 2 years ago, this Congress passed two historic laws to combat TB. The Comprehensive TB Elimination Act authorizes the tools to put the U.S. on the path to TB [[Page 5178]] elimination and the Lantos-Hyde Act, with multi-lateral commitment, aims to reduce the global TB burden by half within a decade. Both of these laws would support an increased research investment to get us the new TB diagnostic, treatment and prevention tools that we urgently need. With enactment of these 2 laws, we have the power to combat TB effectively and reduce the human misery that this disease wreaks around the world. I urge my colleagues to work with me and our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to fully fund these measures. ____________________