Doxycycline, an antibiotic, has been approved as a treatment option for tuberculosis (TB).Researchers at Imperial College, London, found that doxycycline stops the secretion of MMP-1, an enzyme that destroys lung tissue.Doxycycline not only fights against bacterial growth, but also stops the progression of the disease, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.Dr Grace Mutembayire, in-charge of Care and Treatment of TB and Other Respiratory Diseases (ORD), said the drug was already in use in the country but not by TB patients.“We are already using Doxycycline as an antibacterial for diseases like syphilis, prostatitis and other STI’s. In Rwanda, we can’t use a drug which is not among the World Health Organization (WHO) prescriptions,” Mutembayire said.According to an article published in Doctor Tipster’s Medical news, Doxycycline is currently used to treat many conditions such as sinusitis, pelvic inflammatory disease and acne, among other diseases.Dr Paul Elkington, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, who led the study, stressed the necessity of a new effective drug that could fight TB.He also notes that that doxycycline is a cheap, safe and widely available antibiotic that could be used as an alternative for treating TB.The 2011 treatment success rate in Rwanda was 87.6 percent and the success is attributed to the big part played by Community Health Workers in TB diagnosis, treatment and prevention.Each year, between 7000 and 8000 TB cases are reported countrywide.
