QIAGEN announced a partnership with the International Panel Physicians Association (IPPA) to support and educate panel physicians around the globe on the latest tuberculosis (TB) screening requirements.
A special focus will be on the new Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) requirements and the associated benefits for patients and healthcare providers.
This collaboration follows the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updating its guidelines for new TB screening requirements for immigrants to the United States. Together, QIAGEN and IPPA are committed to promoting the use of IGRA testing, such as QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON-TB Plus, to ensure a safe immigration process and support the global fight against TB. IPPA is a U.S.-based non-profit organization of physicians who are authorized to conduct immigration medical evaluations by governments of countries that receive migrants, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The updated CDC guidelines now mandate that by October 1, 2024, all individuals aged above 2 years old from countries with a WHO-estimated TB incidence rate of more than 20 cases per 100,000 people will require an IGRA test as part of their U.S. immigrant visa medical exam, expanding from the previous requirement covering only children age 2 to 14.
Additionally, in anticipation of World TB Day, QIAGEN is hosting a global CPD-accredited event on March 21, 2024, with top TB experts discussing the vital theme of “TB infection screening and preventive therapy for achieving End TB strategy goals”. The program will explore the global TB landscape, advances in testing and prevention, and screening of migrants. A panel discussion will address TB epidemiology, cost-effectiveness, and challenges faced by high-risk groups like migrants and children.
