Central Africa

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses a significant challenge in Central Africa. Understanding the molecular epidemiology and genotypic characteristics of MDR-TB strains is crucial for effective control measures. This is highlighted by the emergence of mutations encoding resistance to bed aquiline and quinolones which may impact the roll out of the newly recommended Bedaquiline, Pretomanid, Linezolid and Moxifloxacin (BPaLM) regimens. It is also worth noting that there is increasing evidence of the significance of TB lineage in the outcome of infection, the approach in the study will provide both information on chains of transmission and lineage.