So, the question is not whether we need novel drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics, but when they will become available. The new GeneXpert test diagnoses not only TB, but also, in the same step, MDR-TB, which means that it can rapidly direct adequate treatment and prevent infection of contacts – a true breakthrough.
因此，问题不在于我们是否需要新药、新疫苗和新诊断法，而是它们什么时候能成为现实。新的GeneXpert测试不仅能诊断肺结核，还能同时诊断MDR肺结核，这意味着它能迅速引导充分治疗并防止接触感染——名副其实的突破。不幸的是，这一测试十分昂贵和复杂，不是一般穷国负担得起的。