Editorial: Updates from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Global Treatment Recommendations for Drug-Susceptible and Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2019, 10.0 million people worldwide developed tuberculosis (TB), with 1.4 million deaths from TB in that year. Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis that is resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin and an additional chemotherapeutic agent is known as multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB). Until recently, the prevalence of drug resistance in patients with TB has been poorly understood due to a lack of infection surveillance and molecular testing. Countries with the highest prevalence of TB, including MDR TB, are also those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The identification of MDR TB requires careful monitoring and resources for molecular testing. Previous treatment regimens have required intravenous treatments of long duration and high cost. The 2020 and 2021 recommendations from the WHO for the management of drug-susceptible TB and MDR TB have included oral treatment regimens and reduced treatment duration. This Editorial aims to present the rationale for the 2020 and 2021 recommendations from the WHO for the management of drug-susceptible TB and MDR TB.