New Delhi, Oct 15 : Concerned that many physicians are no longer taught to diagnose and treat tuberculosis (TB), the World Medical Association (WMA) launched a new online refresher course here Thursday.

Launching the course at the WMA's annual general assembly in New Delhi, Julia Seyer, medical advisor, WMA said: "When we started an online course on multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) course in 2006, we discovered physicians were missing the most basic knowledge about normal TB. Many physicians in the developed world have never even seen a case of TB and have no training to diagnose or treat the preventable disease."

The free online course will provide basic clinical care information for TB including the latest diagnostics, treatment and information about multi-drug resistant TB. It will also emphasise how to ensure patient adherence and infection control so as to avoid patients developing drug resistance.    

According to WMA, there are nine million new cases of TB and two million deaths from the disease each year.    

"Two billion people are infected with the disease worldwide. TB has re-emerged as a serious global disease. The course will be useful in developing countries, where a majority of cases are seen," Seyer said.    

According to the Indian Medical Association, India accounts for over 20 percent of the global burden with as many as 1.8 million new cases each year. Countries in Sub Saharan Africa and China also accounts for a large number of TB cases.    

"In India, 47 percent of TB patients go to private sector practitioners who use multiple treatment regimen rather than the WHO based DOTS treatment and patients are more prone to developing drug resistance - the refresher course is essential for creating awareness among the doctors.

"As a result of mistreatment, the basic TB treatment costing Rs. 4,000 for six month translates into a two year and Rs. 200,000 treatment for MDR-TB patients," R. V. Asokan, IMA's national coordinator on TB told IANS.    

The refresher course is presently available in English on the WMA website, but will soon be translated into Spanish, French, Russian and Chinese. The course was written by the New Jersey Medical School Global Tuberculosis Institute, USA and is being financed by an unrestricted educational grant from Lilly-MDR TB partnership. (IANS)