| April 2025 | STIAS Institute, Stellenbosch, South Africa |
Presentations from the symposium are available for download here: https://eoafrica.eventsair.com/3rd-international-post-tuberculosis-symposium-2025/presentations-2025.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that approximately 54 million people survived TB between 2000 and 2017 alone. There is increasing evidence of long term respiratory complications following TB in a proportion of these patients, preventing them from returning to their normal lives. Patients can suffer from airflow obstruction, restrictive and fibrotic defects, bronchiectasis and aspergillomas amongst other conditions. With chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) being the third leading cause of death worldwide, the problem of post-TB chronic respiratory disorders could be substantial. In addition to the physiological and anatomical consequences, people who have survived TB often suffer significant economic and psychological consequences, which the international literature is starting to recognise. Despite emerging evidence, there is still a lack of international guidelines and recommendations on the follow up of patients beyond the cure of TB. While WHO's Global Action Plan on non-communicable diseases recommends incorporating screening for chronic respiratory disease in TB clinics, the WHO End TB Strategy neglects post-TB respiratory disorders.
Patient Perspectives
Economic, Social and Psychological
Big Data
Social protection and TB: WHO's guidance on social protection for people affected by tuberculosis
TB-associated economic, social and psychological sequelae, a model
Post-TB Lung Disease - Diagnosis & Prevention
Post-TB assessments: who, what, when, and what's next?
From relapse to re-infection: Navigating the diagnostic pathway for recurrent TB
Neuromuscular & Skeletal
Overview of CNS post-TB findings in adults
Overview of CNS post-TB findings in children
Paediatrics
Survivor Videos
Why Paediatrics
Panel Discussion: The need for child and adolescent post-TB research
DELPHI Process: Treatable Traits
DELPHI consensus for an approach to management
Post-TB Lung Disease - Diagnosis & Prevention
Panel Discussion and Working Group Session on Implementing PTLD Care
Advocacy & Policy Engagement
Is post-TB disease a political priority
What are TB policy implementation gaps and how can they be overcome? What works, what does not work? Country-level examples from Tanzania
What are TB policy implementation gaps and how can they be overcome? What works, what does not work? Country-level examples from Malawi
A qualitative study on the sustained effects of a Post-Tuberculosis Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program in Malawi
How can we bring in the lived experience and different cultural or regional backgrounds into context?
Mental health impact of TB
"Once you get TB, life changes": a qualitative study of health, wellbeing, and care needs after treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis in East Africa
WHO Perspectives on Policy Update at Country-level to Advance Post-TB Case
Advocacy priorities for post-TB care
Research Definition
Patient Perspective
Pathogenesis of Post-TB Disease
A brief overview of the pathogenesis of PTLD
What is post-TB lung disease? Insights from study of pathology of post-TB lung
What can we learn about PTLD pathogenesis from other respiratory diseases? Lesson from ILD and ARDS
Cardio- & Pulmonary Vascular
Controversies: Is TB really a risk factor for cardiovascular disease? What the data show
Mechanisms of increased post-TB cardiovascular disease
Clinical implications of the TB- cardiovascular disease
Advocacy & Policy Engagement
Is Post TB disease a political priority?
What are TB policy implementation gaps and how can they be overcome? What works, what does not work? Country-level examples from Tanzania and Malawi
A qualitative study on the sustained effects of a Post-Tuberculosis Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program in Malawi
How can we bring in the lived experience and different cultural or regional backgrounds into context? Mental health impact of TB/holistic care
Epi Tool Kit
Epidemiology and the power of data
Epi 101: Goals & pitfalls
Leveraging data for better insights
Post-TB Lung Disease - Management
PTLD interventions: A review of reviews
Updates on HDT clinical trials
What are the treatable traits in PTLD? A Proposed Approach
Cardio- & Pulmonary Vascular
Oral Abstract - "Cardiac Disease in TB in Zambia"
Oral Abstract - "Arterial Stiffness Post-TB"
Illustrative Case: Haemoptysis post-TB
Measuring CVS Impact Pre-Damage (non-invasive methods, biomarkers, cross-disciplinary research)
Panel Discussion: Towards answering the complexities of (left-sided) post-TB cardiovascular damage
Paediatrics
Systematic review and lessons learned from epi
Health economics
Lung function considerations and reference equations
Usefulness of oscillometry
Need and requirement for a research protocol to guide paediatric PTLD work
Treatable Traits
Pathogenesis of Post-TB Disease
Prediction and risk factors
Interventions and host-directed therapies
Host-pathogen interactions
Models and morphology
Economic, Social & Psychological
Oral Abstract - "Post-tuberculosis sequelae and care: a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative research"
Oral Abstract - "Depressive symptoms after TB treatment completion among people with and without HIV co-infection"
Oral Abstract - "Post-Tuberculosis (TB) Economic Costs and Catastrophic Health Expenditures From the Perspective of TB Survivors in Maharashtra, India"
Understanding of ESP-related post-TB associated 'disability'
Neuromuscular & Skeletal
Long-term goals for post TBM outcome and how to get there
Defining post TBM and how to evaluate patients for this
Determine what meaningful outcomes are from a patient perspective
Survey to determine what evaluation tools and support structures are present in different settings
Post-TB Lung Disease - Management
Addressing PTLD by defining, diagnosing and managing treatable traits
Updating clinical trial designs and outcomes to address PTLD
Summary, Feedback and Closing