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October 31, 2003

Expert to speak on global tuberculosis epidemic

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Tuberculosis expert Lee B. Reichman will give a free public presentation on the deadly disease at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at Purdue University.

Lee B. Reichman

The lecture, entitled "Defusing the Timebomb: The Global Epidemic of Tuberculosis," will be in Stewart Center's Fowler Hall and is part of the School of Pharmacy's Anderson Lecture Series.

Tuberculosis (TB) infects 2 billion people, one-third of the world's population. There are 8 million deaths annually due to TB, making it the world's largest single infectious cause of death from a single pathogen. Nearly 6 million people are co-infected with TB and HIV.

"Worldwide, TB is highly prevalent largely due to the breakdown of the health delivery infrastructure, but also due to the use of inappropriate drugs, drug diversion and lack of drug availability," Reichman said. "While the news about the epidemic is of great concern, the recognition should be that it can easily be handled if proper dedication and resources are applied."

Reichman is the founding executive director of the New Jersey Medical School National Tuberculosis Center and professor of medicine, preventive medicine and community health at the New Jersey Medical School in Newark, N.J. He is the principal investigator of several National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grants related to tuberculosis. He serves as chairman of several CDC committees and is a liaison representative to the U.S. Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis.

Reichman has published more than 200 articles, scientific reviews and book chapters, particularly about the diagnosis, treatment, control, patient compliance with therapy and the epidemiology of tuberculosis and other infectious lung diseases.

Sponsoring the lecture are Purdue's School of Pharmacy, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Indiana University School of Medicine's Lafayette Center for Medical Education, with co-sponsorship from Purdue's Pharmacy Student Council.

Writer: Chad Boutin, (765) 494-2081, cboutin@purdue.edu

Source: Charles O. "Chip" Rutledge, executive director of Discovery Park, (765) 494-7766, chipr@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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