TBnet News June 2026

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1 day ago
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Today: TBnet/ptbnet Webinar – “MSF TACTiC project to improve the management of childhood tuberculosis: experiences from Pakistan”

Join us today - Thursday, July 2 at 5:00 pm CEST - for the joint TBnet/ptbnet webinar titled “MSF TACTiC project to improve the management of childhood tuberculosis: experiences from Pakistan”.

The webinar will also begin with the world-premiere of a short video to commemorate the 20^th Anniversary of TBnet! We look forward to seeing many of you there.

To join the webinar, please register in advance using the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Y8BCl0AWRO-OeQV3j7pdQQ

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.
Contact information: admin@tbnet.eu

TBnet Academy 2026

From 31 May to 3 June the TBnet Academy once again brought together 20 outstanding young scholars from across Europe working in the fields of tuberculosis and diseases caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Hosted at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, the Academy offered a comprehensive program covering the latest scientific developments in tuberculosis epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, as well as childhood tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial diseases. Keynote lectures addressed major current challenges, including tuberculosis in Lithuania in 2026, ending tuberculosis in our lifetime, the impact of war on tuberculosis in Europe, asymptomatic tuberculosis, post-tuberculosis lung disease and antibiotic stewardship.

A central feature of the TBnet Academy is its interactive format. Participants presented state-of-the-art reviews and discussed their work with an international faculty of leading experts.

The programme also included visits to Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, where participants joined a teaching ward round and visited the mycobacteria laboratory. These clinical and laboratory experiences created a valuable bridge between research, diagnostics and patient care.

The Academy concluded with an innovative tuberculosis escape room, where participants worked together to apply newly acquired knowledge to solve complex problems. The exercise highlighted the Academy’s spirit of collaboration, creativity and shared commitment to improving tuberculosis care and research.

With its 12th Academy, TBnet reaffirmed its mission to connect and empower the next generation of tuberculosis experts across Europe.

We thank our hosts from Vilnius Faculty of Medicine, the faculty and all the organisers who made this wonderful event possible as well as the support from the Monteillet-Musiolik Fellowship and the Hospital Partnership Programme BREATHE, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation.

A Year in Review on Tuberculosis and Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Disease: A 2026 Update for Clinicians and Scientists

The year 2025 marked another milestone year in TB and NTM-focused research, including diagnostics, epidemiology and treatment. In light of the rapid expansion of evidence each year, TBnet is committed to support TB clinicians and researchers in remaining up-to-date with the significant findings in mycobacterial infection and disease.

Following on from last year’s edition, the Year in Review for 2025 has been published in Pathogens and Immunity as TBnet’s partner journal. The TBnet Steering Committee collected the most impactful articles published in 2025 based on their own specialisation, and the Year in Review condenses what every clinician should take from last year’s new evidence in an accessible paper.

The article is free to access on Pathogens and Immunity (https://doi.org/10.20411/pai.v11i1.970), and please share this valuable resource among your own networks!

Together against antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis in Europe

On 8–9 June 2026, more than 50 leading specialists in the field gathered in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, for the 1^st Antimicrobial Stewardship in Tuberculosis Conference. A further 50 experts joined online, with participants representing more than 40 countries across the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region.

The conference was organized by the Tuberculosis Network European Trials Group (TBnet), in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe. A central focus of the conference was the implementation of the recently published International Clinical Standards for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Tuberculosis. Participants reviewed results from an international survey conducted by TBnet ahead of the meeting among more than 40 WHO European Region Member States. The survey identified important gaps in governance and policy, capacity building, access to diagnostics, clinical management, monitoring, and stewardship practices.

The conference findings informed structured breakout discussions on priority actions. The meeting concluded with the formation of international working groups that will develop practical tools, educational activities, monitoring frameworks, and policy recommendations to support countries in strengthening antimicrobial stewardship in tuberculosis care.

The conference was funded by the Oskar Medicine Award of the Foundation Oskar-Helene-Heim, Berlin, and conducted with the participation of other international stakeholders like DZIF, DZK, ECDC, ESGAP, The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, and The Union.

Register now: EACCTB 2026

Join us in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, on 29–30 October 2026 for the European Advanced Course in Clinical Tuberculosis (EACCTB).

This year’s course is organized by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation (The Netherlands) in collaboration with FILHA (Finland), Karolinska Institute (Sweden), TBnet, and Radboud University Medical Centre (The Netherlands).

The course is designed for infectious disease and respiratory medicine specialists, public health officers and nurses, TB programme personnel, microbiologists, and other professionals with an interest in tuberculosis. EACCTB 2026 will provide the latest updates on developments and current challenges in tuberculosis prevention & care, with a strong focus on both clinical practice and public health applications. Through interactive presentations and discussions, participants will explore topics such as epidemiology, active case finding, diagnostics, treatment, antimicrobial stewardship, post-TB health, stigma, and digital health tools.

Beyond the scientific programme, EACCTB offers a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, learn from leading experts, and connect with colleagues from across Europe and beyond.

We look forward to welcoming you to Nijmegen, the Netherlands, for two inspiring days of learning, collaboration, and networking.

Please find below the program and the registration link:

TBnet Membership Donations

We will soon be giving members the opportunity to donate towards the maintenance of TBnet, and help sustain the work we do in contributing high-class research to the field of TB in the European region. The donation page will go live on the TBnet website and there will be an option to create tax certificates for member’s records.

The donations will be voluntary and there will be a suggested amount of 50EUR per year. However, the value of the contribution will be completely at the discretion of the donator. The current timeline should see the donations feature active on the TBnet website in September 2026, and we thank all of our dedicated members in advance for considering this opportunity.