The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Respiratory Journal published a joint European Union Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ESTC). These standards aim to guide clinicians and public health workers in their daily work to ensure optimal diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) in Europe.

The European Union Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ESTC) jointly developed and published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the European Respiratory Journal seek to bridge current gaps in the case management of Tuberculosis that were identified in a recent survey. In particular, they aim to guide clinicians and public health workers in their daily work to ensure optimal diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB) in Europe.

The ESTC are based on the same recommendations as the International Standards for TB Care (ISTC), but feature additional supplements and replacement information relevant for healthcare providers in the EU. Nearly 74,000 reported TB cases in the EU/EEA in 2010 clearly show that tuberculosis remains a public health challenge across the region.

The European Respiratory Journal has also launched a special review series looking at the current state of TB in Europe. The series begins with an editorial and paper on the prevalence of inappropriate tuberculosis treatment regimens. In addition, a European Forum for TB Innovation with the aim to identify and highlight the gaps, challenges and needs in innovating and optimising European and global TB control has been launched by the ERS.