Impact of the Current Health Care Legislation on the NAP Initiative

The current health care legislation necessitates the need for TB surveillance, reporting, and vaccination (Global Health Agency, 2021). The U.S. government’s global TB efforts have increased through funding having legal support. In 2021, for instance, the U.S government released 332 million dollars to enhance the global fight against TB. Currently, USAID serves as the lead implementing agency for the U.S. global TB efforts, reaching more than 50 countries worldwide (Global Health Agency, 2021). Additionally, the current health care legislation has enhanced bilateral TB programs in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia to accelerate detection, treatment, and scale-up prevention of MDR-TB (Global Health Agency, 2021). Thus, such U.S. involvement through regulation can enhance the fight against MDR-TB.

Conclusion

The U.S. government initiated the NAP program in the global effort to fight MDR-TB. Cultural and ethical issues such as patient behaviors and discrimination should be considered for the effective implementation of the NAP initiative. Also, the political and legal support of the MDR-TB initiative has enhanced its implementation through increased funding. Lastly, the current health care legislation on TB surveillance, testing, and vaccination has resulted in the decline of MDR-TB cases worldwide.

References

De Vries, G., Tsolova, S., Anderson, L. F., Gebhard, A. C., Heldal, E., Hollo, V., … & Van der Werf, M. J. (2017). Health system factors influencing the management of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in four European Union countries-learning from country experiences. Bio-Med Central Public Health, 17(1), 1-12. https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12889-017-4216-9

Global Health Agency (2021). The U.S. government and global tuberculosis efforts. https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-u-s-government-and-global-tuberculosis-efforts/

Nash, D. B., Skoufalos, A., Fabius, R. J. & Oglesby, W. H.  (2021). Policy and advocacy. In population health: Creating a culture of wellness (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.